In the October 16, 2023 issue of Advanced Natural Wellness you learned the warning signs of a heart attack or impending cardiac arrest.

But how do you tell these apart from a stroke?

Well, there are a lot of misconceptions about strokes. Many people believe they are very similar to a cardiac event. While both are related to vascular issues, that’s where the similarities begin and end.

Here is an odd and random statistic…

COPD is third highest cause of death here in the U.S., following right on the heels of heart disease and cancer. This means more people die from chronic respiratory disease each year than from stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes or influenza.

So I find it strange that people aren’t talking about it.

My new patients are often surprised when I don’t approach their health concerns in the way they expect.

For instance, I once had a 50-year-old woman visit my office with awful joint pain. She was morbidly obese with pain in her fingers, knuckles, wrists, shoulders, knees and hips.

A bone scan ordered by her conventional rheumatologist showed systemic inflammatory illness in her joints.

Pretty much everyone knows that if an artery gets clogged it can trigger a heart attack. What many people may not realize is that heart attack symptoms often differ between men and women.

Sure, classic symptoms such as chest pain are common in both sexes. But women are much more likely to have less common symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, a feeling of indigestion or back pain – without any chest discomfort at all.

This can lead to problems getting a proper diagnosis for women. It’s something I remember from the days when I was in training.

Salt intake is quite a dilemma these days. On one hand, your body needs sodium to transmit nerve impulses, help your muscle’s function and maintain fluid balance.

But when you get too much of it, it accumulates in the bloodstream where it attracts water. When this happens it increases blood pressure, which can damage your blood vessels and increase the workload on your heart.

And the truth is, most folks are getting a lot more sodium than they need these days – sometimes without even realizing it.

So many in the medical community have dismissed the use of supplements as a tool for better health. Their logic is about as simple as it gets: If you eat a healthy diet, you’ll get all of the nutrition you need.

Well, a June 2023 study out of Oregon State University says just the opposite.

When a group of men age 68 and older took either a multivitamin or placebo, the results spoke for themselves.

When men think of prostate problems, they immediately think of urinary difficulties.

After all, that’s what we all hear about… dribbling over the toilet in the middle of the night. Road trips postponed and ball games cut short because of the “urge to go.”

But there’s another side of the story that is equally disturbing:

Everybody knows that a high sodium intake, excess weight and lack of physical activity are all bad for their blood pressure, right? It’s because we talk about these key contributors to hypertension all of the time. But what about the ones that we seldom hear about?

For example, did you know that when you are dehydrated, it causes your blood pressure to increase? Part of the reason is due to the fact that dehydration causes the body to retain more sodium. And, as we all know, higher sodium levels are directly related to hypertension.

At the same time, dehydration causes your body to release more vasopressin than it normally would. This chemical causes blood vessels to constrict, which makes your blood pressure rise.

In the September 25, 2023 issue of Advanced Natural Wellness, I mentioned how much I love to put on some music and bop around the house while I’m doing chores.

I do the same thing when I’m ready for some more purposeful physical activity.

For example, I love listening to the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” when I’m walking on a treadmill. With the speed set at 3.5 miles per hour, I find it’s the perfect tune to give a bounce to my step and a boost to my brain.

Sometimes it seems like the older we get, the lazier we become.

Instead of taking the stairs we are happy to ride the elevator – even if it’s going to take us longer. It’s easier to go through a drive-up window than get out of the car and walk indoors; or to drive the quarter mile to the coffee shop instead of walking.

Today’s technology has made it even worse. If you don’t feel like shopping, Instacart or Walmart Delivery will be happy to deliver groceries to your front door. If cooking sounds like too much work, DoorDash, Uber Eats and other delivery services are happy to bring the meal of your choice to your home.

Everybody needs to get nutrient rich vegetables in their diets. It doesn’t matter which dietary lifestyle you’re operating on. Whether it’s omnivorous, carnivorous, vegetarian or vegan, you still need to have your vegetables.

So why not eat the ones that have the most nutritional value?  

You see, some plant-based foods are more nutritionally dense than others. We give them a score, called the “nutritional density score,” based on the balance of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber in them.

Everyone wants to protect their heart health, and taking low-dose aspirin sounds like an inexpensive way to do that. After all, what harm could come from taking an over-the-counter pill that was originally formulated for children?

Well, the fact is that low-dose aspirin is so dangerous that, if a company attempted to bring it to market today, it would never make it. It just wouldn’t pass scrutiny.

That’s because the evidence of horrible side-effects with daily use is overwhelming.

Your feet are your body’s foundation. And they’re awesome.

Believe it or not, each foot accounts for about 1.5% or less of your bodyweight. Yet they carry the entire weight of your body around for an entire lifetime. More than that, really. Because when you walk, the pressure on your heels and the front of your feet can be more the double your body weight.

And here’s an amazing little tidbit for you. If you walk 7,500 steps a day, by the end of your life you will have walked the equivalent of about five times around the Earth.

If you suffer from knee osteoarthritis, there are a lot of common treatments that don’t work well, and an equally long list of alternative treatments that do.

So today I’m going to make things extremely easy for you.

First, we will take a look at what doesn’t work to ease knee pain. Then, I’ll clearly explain what does.

Type 2 diabetes is a real epidemic these days, and it comes with all sorts of health problems. It puts you at two to four times the chance of heart disease or a stroke. It affects your brain function, damages your nerves and causes kidney problems.

The one thing many people don’t realize is that type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. This is true even in people who are genetically susceptible to the disease.

As a matter of fact, a large study recently discovered that poor diet has been tied to more than 70 percent of new type 2 diabetes cases worldwide. That’s a huge number!

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are top concerns for my aging patients. Many of them lost one or both of their parents to the disease. Some have lost a grandparent or two to it.

If you’ve experienced this type of loss, you might feel like you have a target on your back… that you’re next in line.

Well I’ll tell you the truth. While you may be at higher genetic risk of the disease, it doesn’t necessarily mean you are a prime candidate for it. I always explain to my patient that it’s not genetics that count the most… it’s how you live your life.

I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to support my heart health.

In fact, one of my favorite kinds of green smoothies is filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables. I start with some honey and nut milk followed by a generous bunch of dark-leafy green vegetables like spinach or romaine.

Then, I’ll add in some blueberries or a frozen banana and top it off with a heaping teaspoonful of ground flaxseed and some organic almond or cashew butter. Then, I’ll blend it until it’s smooth and creamy.

Everyone “gets” the idea of taking a multi-vitamin, minerals and many other supplements to help offset nutritional deficits.

But what about CoQ10?

CoQ10 is one of those nutrients everyone over the age of 40 needs more of. It’s also one that’s least understood by most folks.

It’s not a vitamin. It’s not a mineral. So what is it and why do you need it?

It seems like every new decade comes with its own set of health issues.

When I turned 30, I got out of bed and my ankles cracked. When I turned 40, my knees cracked. And when I turned 50, my back cracked…

By the time I turned 60, I just hid under my covers and didn’t get up. (Just kidding!)

In all honesty, heading into your 60’s and 70’s can be intimidating. These ages come with a stigma attached to them that you’re past your prime.

You feel sort of like an old piece of food that came from the grocery store – one with a “use by” date that is fast approaching.

One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is ambient light in my bedroom when I’m trying to sleep. I leave my phone in my office, cover up all of those blue, green and red lights from power strips and other equipment, and use black out shades on my windows. Otherwise, I can’t sleep at all.

There is a reason those lights affect my sleep. They may be affecting yours too, and you might not even be aware of it.

You see, in the absence of light, our brains produce melatonin, our main “sleep hormone.” But when we are exposed to light at nighttime – even low levels of it – melatonin production is halted.

I once had an 87-year-old patient who gave me his recipe for a drink he called “Blood.”

Now, before you get too grossed out, let me explain…

Yes, his bright red juice looked a lot like blood. But this name was appropriate for another reason.

The superstar of his drink was beetroot juice – an ingredient that can actually boost blood flow throughout your entire body.

Just one glass of beetroot juice a day can help protect your heart and brain, boost your stamina, and ease your aching joints all day long.

I’ve been using a water pic for about the past three months. And on my most recent dental cleaning, the hygienist at my dentist’s office was amazed. I had no plaque!

They wondered what I had been doing, and I explained that I had added the water pic to my daily dental routine.

It acts like dental floss, except that it uses a jet of water to irrigate all of those tight spaces and crevices between your teeth and at your gumline. That means it can flush plaque and bacteria out of the periodontal pockets under your gumline where it gathers and can lead to infection.

All across the U.S. – from California to Louisiana and South Florida – record high temperatures are being broken. Not only that, but power grids are being stretched to their limits trying to keep millions of air-conditioners running.

So the first order of business is to try and stay as cool as possible.

If you’re stuck at home without A/C or if the power is out, a couple of cool, wet cloths can work magic, so keep a few on hand. You can wrap them around your neck, wrists or ankles to help cool you down. Sink into a tub of cool water or take a cold shower during the hottest part of the day for a full body cool-down.

By the time we men hit our 30s, our testosterone levels naturally start declining. But over the past several decades, testosterone levels in the U.S. have been dropping more quickly than they did 30 years ago. 

Since the late 1980’s, average levels of testosterone in men dropped by one percent each year. So a 65-year-old man in 2021 would have levels 30% lower than a 65-year-old man in 1991. These decreases don’t appear to be associated with lifestyle, so why the big decline?

Well, these days estrogen mimics, called xenoestrogens, are all over the place. These fake estrogens attach to certain cell receptor sites and displace testosterone. Over time they build up in your system and exert estrogen dominance in men. And you can find them almost everywhere.

We’ve always lived with blue light from the sun. Now we’re getting it from our electronic screens too. So we’re exposed to a lot more blue light than we used be.

And it’s crazy how much time people are spending on their phones these days! Depending on which poll you read, people are averaging anywhere from 3.25 hours to 5.7 hours each day on their smartphones…every day.

Do the math and that adds up to between 53 and 86 days a year on their phones.

People have so many health concerns as they age. They worry about their hearts, memory, eyesight, weight and so much more.

But when is the last time you wondered how your kidneys were doing? You really want to keep these 5 inch long bean shaped filters of your blood as happy as they can be.

Still, kidney function decreases as we get older. In fact, by the time we’re in our 60’s, kidney problems are pretty common. The problem is, nine out of ten adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD) don’t even know they have it! That means most people with poorly functioning kidneys are walking around the world unaware.

We’ve been raised with the idea that, when we reach a certain age, we should retire. Just slow down and live the good life.

I think this is a problem. We’re already less active than we should be, simply due to the fact that while we know we need to be active, advances in  everything from transportation to TV remotes has allowed us to stay on our behinds. As recently as the 1800s, if you wanted to go somewhere, you walked. Or you got on your horse. You didn’t get into your car to drive one mile.

Back then, most people lived on farms. They didn’t have John Deere tractors like we do today. So they had to walk behind a horse with a plow.

“Should I have my DNA tested to see what diseases I’m at risk for?”

This is a question I hear more and more often these days. And I understand the appeal. It’s human nature to want to know as much about ourselves as possible. DNA testing is a great way to get some of those answers.

So if you want to try it out, I’m not going to discourage you. But I do have a couple of observations to make.

You probably know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by heart. It’s just as likely you can recite your blood sugar and blood pressure numbers when asked.     

But do you have any idea what your uric acid level is?

Probably not.

In fact, there’s a good chance you don’t even know what uric acid is. That’s unfortunate, because it can play a dramatic role in your health.

Every time I get into my car, I always reach for my little glove compartment right away. I stash my regular glasses and slip on my sunglasses.

Then, I’m ready to roll.

Even if it’s a cloudy day, these sunglasses stay on until the sun disappears below the horizon. Just like applying sunscreen, wearing your sunglasses should be a regular part of your routine when going outside.

In these days of health consciousness, food and beverage manufacturers will go to great lengths to convince you that their products will make your life healthier.

You see it every time you go to the store. Marketers place starbursts on their products claiming they are sugar free, low fat, reduced sodium, cholesterol free, gluten free and a whole lot more.

The truth is that, regardless of these statements, the foods may not be any healthier than their full-bodied counterparts. Still, using these terms gives the foods something called a health halo; or the halo effect. You automatically think they are going to benefit your health in some way without having any proof of it.

A few years ago, my 35-year-old neighbor collapsed in his driveway taking the trash out.

He was immediately rushed to the hospital where the medical staff performed a full work-up on him. One diagnostic test after another was carried out. Finally they gave him the good news…

There was nothing wrong with him. He could go home.

My neighbor didn’t believe this for a minute. After all, he still felt horrible. And guess what happened when he tried to leave the hospital?

There’s no doubt about it. As we humans grow older, we tend to lose muscle strength. The medical term for it is sarcopenia.

It’s sort of like osteoporosis of the muscles. Whereas osteoporosis is a condition where the skeleton loses bone mass and quality, sarcopenia is a disorder that results in the loss of muscle mass and function.

These health conditions are two of the primary reasons older people become frail and end up experiencing more falls, fractures and hospitalizations as they age. And these conditions often occur together.

My father, brothers, and uncles all suffered from heart attacks. They also all had one strange physical sign – creased earlobes!

Believe it or not, this is a warning sign that your arteries may be at increased risk for clogging – and there are well over 50 studies to prove it. (Look for a crease that runs diagonally from  the top of your earlobe to the lower edge of your earlobe.)

Earlobe creases form because of weakened then folded collagen in your ears. It’s also a sign of weakened collagen elsewhere…especially in your arteries. Once this symptom appears, it’s really important for you to take note.

Did you know that when 3,000-year-old honey was discovered in King Tut’s tomb in 1922, the honey was still good?

Honey is one of those rare foods that never spoil. This has to do with a combination of an acidic PH and low water content that creates an environment that kills off pretty much any bacteria trying to grow in it.

At the same time, raw honey has a high level of antimicrobial activity. It’s loaded with phenolic compounds that act as powerful antioxidants. And, since ancient times, it has been used medicinally to treat wounds, coughs, skin disorders, eye diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, heart palpitations and many other health conditions.

Every now and then I run across a patient who won’t eat fish. It’s not because they don’t like it. It’s because they’ve read one too many scary stories about mercury poisoning.

I get it. And I agree that all heavy metals, not just mercury, are a problem in today’s society.

However, this may be one instance where avoiding a specific food group for “health reasons” may actually be doing more harm than good.

Irritable bowel syndrome isn’t considered a disease. Yet it is the gastrointestinal complaint most frequently diagnosed by medical professionals.

But most physicians don’t know what to do about it. There isn’t a pill you can take to cure it.

In the meantime, the gas, bloating, pain and bowel issues associated with IBS can be excruciating, embarrassing, and interfere with your active lifestyle.

Overeating is built into our genes. It comes from the days when our ancestors experienced long periods of famine.

Once food became available again, they didn’t just take five bites of it and say “Oh, I’m full. I’ll save the rest for leftovers tomorrow.”

No way!

They kept on eating… as much as they could for as long as they could. It was the only way they had to build up their energy stores to survive the next famine.

Many people think of asthma as something that develops at a young age. But it can actually emerge at any age. People can even develop asthma symptoms for the first time when they are in their 60s, 70s and 80s.

Interestingly, new research published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research shows people who have poor sleep patterns are more likely to develop asthma.

The risk is highest in people with both a genetic predisposition for asthma and poor sleep habits. These folks are about twice as likely to develop asthma than people who have healthy sleep patterns.

In the world of health supplements, minerals are boring. They aren’t new and exciting anti-aging discoveries that everyone wants to get their hands on. Instead, they’ve been forgotten.

Unless it’s calcium for bones, nobody really thinks about them anymore.

But that doesn’t mean they aren’t vital to your good health.

With the arrival of summer next month, grilling season will be ramping up in many parts of the country. (Down here in South Florida, it never ends!)

I’ve enjoyed grilled steaks, ribs and chicken. They are even better when eaten outdoors surrounded by friends, family and neighbors.

But they come with a problem.

I drink kombucha every night. It’s a fizzy, tangy, and sometimes sweet drink. And it’s delicious.

But one of my favorite things about kombucha is that it’s filled with gut-friendly pre and probiotics that keep my gut microbiome ticking along at full speed, as well as digestive enzymes to support my own digestion.

It’s one of many fermented foods that support the immune system, reduce inflammation, improve your mood and protect your health.

There is a misconception about hot and spicy foods.

Some people think they’re dangerous – that they’ll actually burn the linings of the esophagus and stomach. For years it was believed foods like hot peppers and curry were the culprits behind ulcers.

A lot of folks still hold to this line of thinking. I run into them on a daily basis. They avoid anything with a little heat in it.

And boy are they missing out!

Mushrooms are a staple in my kitchen. I toss them in my omelets and frittatas, put them in soups, stews and stir fries, add them to salads and veggie wraps, and use them as a topping on meats and fish.

As it turns out, I’m the “odd man out.”

The average American only eats about four pounds of mushrooms – per person – in a given year. But me? I probably eat somewhere between a half pound and a full pound each week or so.

I’ve always been vocal about the many ways the makers of artificial sweeteners have tried to pull the wool over our eyes. They are all bad for you, but some of the worst are Truvia and Splenda Naturals Stevia Sweetener.

It started when Truvia was launched about 15 years ago. The company latched onto a highly successful marketing strategy. They touted this new product as a “naturally sweet and calorie-free sweetener from the stevia leaf.”

I’ll be very clear here. Truvia is not even close to being the same thing as natural stevia.

There’s an interesting thing that happens when you mix certain plant-based foods together. In many cases, the nutritional power behind one or more of the foods gets super-charged.

For example, when you mix vitamin-C rich foods with those that contain plant-based (non-heme) iron, the vitamin C breaks the iron down so your body can absorb it more readily.

Put a little citrus, like lemon or lime juice, in your tea and it helps preserve somewhere between 80% to 90% of the health promoting catechins in tea after digestion. (Without citrus juice, less than 20% would normally remain post-digestion.)

How often do you think about your urine?

Most certainly when you HAVE TO PEE RIGHT NOW… and there are ten people ahead of you in the bathroom line. When that happens, pee is the ONLY thing you can think about.

Urine is likely on your mind it if it hurts when you take a pee. Or if you have a hard time peeing.

And you’re definitely going to think about your urine if you look into the toilet and see a color you don’t associate with pee. That can be extremely alarming!

Now that you’re lucky enough to be getting older, you might discover that when you go for a walk or take a ride on your bike, your body doesn’t respond the same way it did when you were younger. Maybe your muscles become more easily fatigued. You might lose your breath more quickly. Perhaps your legs get wobbly or you start feeling a little dizzy.

This might make you feel like you’re just not up to it anymore. But you can be!

You see, it doesn’t matter if you’re simply experiencing the results of an inactive lifestyle or have a more chronic condition going on – like reduced lung volume or peripheral artery disease. There’s a way to boost a compound in your body that is proven to enhance physical performance, endurance and stamina.

Not all sugars are the same.

We have natural sugars, those that are found in fruits and vegetables. Then we have added sugars. These are the ones added to processed foods like juices, soft drinks, pastries, breakfast cereals and other packaged foods.

Added sugars make up for most of our daily sugar intake, and they come under the guise of many different names. Sugar, cane juice, syrup, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, maltose and lactose are just a few.

My heart always goes out to stroke patients. One minute they’re perfectly fine. The next thing they know they are waking up in the hospital in complete confusion.

Then the recovery process starts… rediscovering language skills and re-training your body to cooperate with simple movements. It’s a very scary experience that nobody wants to go through in their lifetime.

In general, your lifestyle plays a very large role in your stroke risk. Regular physical activity, a healthy diet, limited alcohol intake and not smoking are the four most important factors that can protect you from a stroke.

All pain starts with inflammation. And low levels of chronic inflammation plague Americans.

You can blame it all on the way we eat. You see, a typical Western diet is high in fat. But it’s the wrong kind of dietary fat.

Let me explain… On one hand you have your omega-6 fatty acids. On the other, you’ve got your omega-3s. There is a much larger difference between these two fatty acids than most people would suspect.

Up to 80 percent of all strokes can be prevented with basic lifestyle changes. In sheer numbers, this means four out of every five strokes could be averted.

Five of the best things you can do to protect against a stroke are to be a non-smoker, eat a healthy diet, participate in regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight and keep your blood pressure in check.

While smoking is a challenge you have to take up on your own. The others have a way of working themselves out.

When you think about your “body clock,” it’s likely that the only thing you associate it with is your sleep schedule. But what if I told you that your “clock” is running in every cell of your body, every single day minute of the day?

It’s true. In fact, three scientists who contributed to this discovery received the Nobel Prize for it. And it’s well deserved.

It turns out that our circadian rhythm is critical to much more than our sleeping habits. Any mismatch between our lifestyle and our internal clock can affect any number of biological processes.

Our bodies were made for movement, yet many of us get far too little physical activity. 

That’s unfortunate, because staying active as you age is one of the best things you can do to avoid dementia. It also helps reduce blood pressure, boost lung function, lower blood sugar and shed excess body fat. In fact, physical activity can help prevent over 35 different chronic health conditions.

But adding more physical activity to your life doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might think. And it doesn’t require an hour at the gym every day to get results.

You can’t see or feel high blood pressure, but it’s a very real threat to the health of your heart, brain and other organs. That’s why we call it “the silent killer.”

When your blood pressure is high, the force of the blood creates microscopic tears and scarring in the inner walls of your blood vessels. Once the damage sets in, fats, cholesterol and other substances in your bloodstream start building up.

This narrows your arteries and makes them less flexible. It also makes your blood pump even harder, and can eventually lead to arterial blockages.

There is an interesting thing about people living on the New Zealand coast. They have a lower incidence of arthritis than those who live inland.

You might think it’s because they breathe fresh, sea air every day. Or perhaps it has something to do with swimming in all of the natural salts and minerals in the ocean’s water.

While I’m sure these coastal amenities have their benefits, there is a much simpler explanation for the lower rates of arthritis. It’s a seafood delicacy called green-lipped mussels. It’s a staple in the diets of coastal New Zealanders.

I love being outdoors in areas that have a lot of trees and plants. I instantly feel better. It clears my mind and sharpens my focus. It energizes me and soothes me all at the same time.

Nature has a tendency to do that for most people, and the benefits can be remarkable. Researchers in Finland found that regular exposure to green environments – like forests, parks, gardens, fields and meadows – can actually help reduce reliance on certain medications.

Specifically, spending time in green environments lowered the odds of using meds for anxiety, depression, insomnia, blood pressure and asthma.

We’ve been told over and over again that sunlight is our enemy; that if we want to prevent skin cancer, we should avoid it altogether.

On the other hand, we know that not getting enough sun exposure actually increases the chance of developing almost all types of cancer; including melanoma, which is the most serious type of skin cancer.

In fact, studies show that sun exposure prior to and after diagnosis of melanoma is actually associated a better outcome.

Every year we see more and more evidence that the “Western” style of eating speeds up the aging process and leads to premature death. And sadly, this is how a large portion of the U.S. population eats. Our society seems to be addicted to commercial red meats, lunchmeat and hot dogs, refined grains, sugars and sweets.

At the same time, study after study proves to us that healthy dietary patterns not only extend life, they also reduce the risk of chronic disease. People who choose diets filled with more plant-based foods are less likely to die from cancer, cardiovascular disease, respiratory conditions and neurodegenerative diseases.

And you can get these life-extending benefits even if you start eating a healthy diet in your later years.

I like nuts. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that fuel your body and protect against disease.

Nuts are especially good for your gut microbiome. That’s because they contain prebiotic compounds that support the growth of healthy gut bacteria. And what’s good for your gut is good for your entire body.

Nuts protect against cardiovascular disease, the development of type 2 diabetes and help control blood sugar. They’re great for fighting off dementia and Alzheimer’s. They battle cancer. And, despite the fact that many people believe they are fattening, they actually help people lose weight.

There are many things that influence your ability to lose weight, and you know what most of them are. Getting plenty of physical activity. Avoiding fattening processed foods and sugars. Eating your fruits and veggies. These changes take time and effort, but they pay off in the long run.

But there’s another factor I’ll bet you haven’t heard about. And it might just play a big role when it comes to your ability to drop weight and fight obesity.

I’m talking about your gut bacteria, what we call the “gut microbiome.”

The use of corticosteroid injections for the treatment of osteoarthritis has been controversial for a long time. And there is a good reason for that.

While these injections may help relieve pain for a short while, they can actually worsen your arthritis. They damage bone and cartilage, cause rapid joint destruction, lead to stress fractures and may accelerate the need for joint replacement surgeries.

They also decrease immune system response and can affect blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.

Grocery store shelves are loaded with row after row of canned, boxed, bagged and other packaged foods that are so over-processed that I hesitate to even call them food.

They fall into the category of “ultra-processed foods.” In addition to salt, sugar and fat, they contain a vast amount of artificial ingredients that would never be found in nature.

Some of the substances found in ultra-processed products include non-sugar sweeteners, color stabilizers, bulking agents, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers and all sorts of other additives. These ingredients are guaranteed to fatten you up while leaving you feeling weak and hungry.

As we get older our sleep patterns change. It just seems harder to get as much sleep as we used to. And it could be caused by any number of reasons.

One reason is that older adults sometimes produce less melatonin than they used to. This is the hormone that promotes sleep. So if you’re not producing enough of it, you’ll find it harder to fall asleep when you want to.

Another reason is that, once some people reach a certain age, they don’t go outdoors as much.  Reduced levels of bright sunlight during the day can mess up your circadian rhythm. It also depresses evening melatonin production even further.

Some patients insist that they need an antibiotic for their cold or flu – even though antibiotics are 100% ineffective against viral infections. Still, there are plenty of doctors who will pull out the prescription pad and satisfy their request.

This type of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics remains widespread. And it can be seen in the fact that antibiotic prescribing peaks in the winter months when cold and flu viruses flourish. On average, antibiotics are 42% more likely to be prescribed during February than September.

Add on the over-prescribing for other health conditions that don’t respond to antibiotics, and as many as four out of ten antibiotic prescriptions in the U.S. could be inappropriate. And most of the time, the strongest kind of antibiotics are being prescribed.

If you flew anywhere last summer, you know how crazy things got. There were record-setting flight delays and cancellations. Many people were stuck in travel hell for days on end.

Things have settled down quite a bit since then. Still, high travel demand, limited flight availability and winter weather could result in chaotic cancellations and delays during holiday travel. So in addition to the time you spend on the airplane itself, you could find yourself hanging out in airports a lot longer than you would like.

Between the stress caused by potential delays, and being trapped in a huge tub of germs for hours at a time (think of your plane as a giant petri dish), the chance of getting sick within a day or two of reaching your destination is high.

As we age, we often find ourselves less socially active than we were when we were younger. Family and friends who have been bedrocks in our lives have passed away. Our adult children are busy with their own lives. Connections with our remaining friends dwindle.

It’s depressing to think about. And it can leave us vulnerable to feelings of loneliness and isolation that can lead us to sedentary behavior. That’s not good for anyone.

These behaviors are all associated with poor health outcomes and early death.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

A New England Journal of Medicine article recently received a lot of press, with headlines suggesting that perhaps colonoscopies aren’t that useful after all.

But that’s misleading, because most of the news reports failed to focus on the most significant part of the article. As journalists like to say, “they buried the lead.”

You see, a research team invited 40,063 people between 55 and 64 years of age to have a colonoscopy. Another 56,365 people were not invited.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

With the arrival of winter weather, fresh fruits and vegetables are going to be shipped from further and further away. In fact, according to the Fruit Growers Supply Company, the average fruit or vegetable you purchase at a local US grocery store travels at least 1,500 miles over the course of several days.

Once at the store, the produce could be on display for two or three days before you buy it. Then, when you bring your purchases home, they might sit around on the counter or in the refrigerator for another week or so.

So there can be a significant period of time between when the produce is harvested and when it ends up on your dinner plate. And during the time, those fruits and veggies are going to lose nutritional value.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

I always start my morning with a cup of tea or coffee.

Both of these caffeinated beverages are high in antioxidants. They help me start my day with focus and energy. They’re great for my cardiovascular system and my liver. They lower my risk of heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes and some cancers. Plus they help burn fat. 

So my day gets off to a great start!

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Millions of people take blood thinners to prevent blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. But combining blood thinners with aspirin can be risky business.

Taken on their own, blood thinners can cause excessive bleeding from even the simplest injury, like a paper cut or stubbed toe. A minor bump on the head can result in intracranial hemorrhage. So, just like all medications, they come with risk.

Warfarin (Coumadin) is the oldest and most commonly used. But we also have the newer ones; apixaban (Eliquis), dabigatran (Pradaxa) and rivaroxaban (Xarelto).

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Maybe you’re trying to lose weight or need to take better control of your blood sugar. So you’ve decided to do yourself a favor and substitute sugar with artificial sweeteners.

I understand the appeal. The marketers for these fake sugars make it sound like they are the cure-all for obesity and metabolic issues. They aren’t.

It’s just not good for you.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

The debate over the link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease has been raging for over 50 years.

Study after study shows that aluminum is a neurotoxicant. It generates an inflammatory response in the brain. It promotes the accumulation and misfolding of beta amyloid and tau proteins. And it is often found in the brain tissue of patients with Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases

Yet you’ll still hear that exposure to aluminum through foods, beverages and personal care products isn’t an issue – that dementia and impaired neural function are “never caused by routine exposure to aluminum.”

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

I recently had an older patient who told me she couldn’t sleep at night. Every time she closes her eyes, all she does is worry about her children. They’re not doing well, and it is the only thing she can think about.

This is very common among our senior citizens. They become stressed out over their children who are having a rough time. Or maybe their grandkids are having problems. They might even have great grand children who aren’t doing well.

I hear this a lot. And it is a big concern.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Flu season is here, and if early data out of Australia is any indication, we might be in for a bad one. Over there, winter starts in June and ends in August, so we generally use their data to predict how the flu season will play out in North America.

This year, that country had a wave of flu cases that surpassed pre-pandemic rates. And while that isn’t a 100% guarantee that the same will occur here, the environment is ripe for it.

You see, over the past several years we’ve seen flu cases drop dramatically. In fact, the flu practically disappeared. In the 2019-2020 season more than 35 million people here in the U.S. had the flu. When you compare that to only 1,675 positive cases in the 2020-2021 season, the difference is staggering.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

People seem to think that over-the-counter medications (OTCs) are safe. After all, why would they be sitting there for anyone to buy if they weren’t?

Well, you have to remember that OTC meds are still drugs. And there is no such thing as a completely safe drug.

Take acetaminophen for example. It is the most common cause of acute liver failure and the second most common reason for liver transplants here in the U.S. And it irreversibly reduces the master antioxidant glutathione your liver needs to produce to protect you.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Ask someone what their breakfast consists of and you’ll get a wide array of answers. Some people skip it altogether. Others take the easy route. Coffee with a muffin, bagel or toast. Maybe cereal, a pastry, waffle or breakfast bar.

Then there are the traditional breakfast eaters who go for pancakes, French toast, breakfast sandwiches or eggs with ham, bacon or sausage.

But are any of these the right way to start your day?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

These days just about everyone knows a salty diet is bad for the heart. But did you know that sugar is also linked to heart disease?

In fact, there was one 15-year study that found people who ate more added sugar were more than twice as likely to die from heart disease compared those who at the least of it.

Sugar raises your blood pressure, triglycerides and heart rate. To top it off, we now know that sugars fill your bloodstream with deadly small, dense LDL particles. These are the type of LDL that slip into your arteries and cause the plaque buildup associated with heart attacks.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

It’s estimated that just over 40% of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases in America are caused by 12 modifiable risk factors: physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, excess alcohol consumption, depression, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, fewer years of education, social isolation, and air pollution.

That’s a long list! But I can whittle it down quite a bit for you.

The top three risk factors on that list are obesity, physical inactivity and high blood pressure. So if you can take care of these, you can greatly reduce your chances of dementia.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

I remember when my relatives, with all of my great aunts and great uncles, would get together for a big holiday dinner. Not long after we finished eating, they would all get up and go outside to take a walk.

You don’t see much of this anymore. That’s a shame, because even a short two-minute walk after eating can lower blood sugar. This, in turn, can help reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In fact, it even helps people who are at high risk of diabetes maintain better blood sugar and insulin responses after meals.

So even a little bit of walking after a meal is better than none at all. Still, the longer amount of time you spend walking, the greater the benefits. If you can extend the length of your walk to 30 minutes or so, it can cut your risk of diabetes by about 50%.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

We are not eating enough protein in our later years. That’s a fact.

To top it off, as we age, our bodies have a harder time synthesizing protein. So even if you think you’re getting plenty of it in your diet, it won’t have the same affect it had on your bone and muscle mass as it did when you were younger.

This is one of the reasons we become frail and have an increased risk of falls and fractures as we grow older. In fact, we often see that patients who have fractured a hip or another bone aren’t getting enough protein.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

People love their potatoes! The average American eats about 135 pounds of potatoes a year. That’s the equivalent of approximately one potato each day.

Russet potatoes – sometimes called Idaho potatoes – are the most well-known type of potatoes in the United States. We bake them, mash them, fry them, roast them and boil them.

Unfortunately, they’re also starchy and carry a high glycemic load. So they can cause a rapid spike in blood sugar and insulin—which is quickly followed by a sugar crash.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Back when I was in medical school decades ago, I was taught to treat the patient, not the symptoms…that if you really listened to them tell their story, it would tell you what their medical problem was.

This is a message I took to heart. And as medicine started pivoting towards fitting patients into diagnostic codes for insurance payments and general prescriptionism and less about patient centered care, I became part of the very first group of U.S. physicians ever trained in functional medicine.

That means my focus and treatment plan is personalized to each patient based on their comprehensive history, physical exam, specific concerns, lifestyle, genetics and environmental variables. I give my patients ALL their options… not just drugs and surgery.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

When talking about Alzheimer’s, we often refer to amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The common belief is that these are the underlying cause of the disease – and that if you get rid of them, you’ll be cured.

But it turns out these proteins may actually be a part of your body’s natural immune response against infection. In other words, they are trying to protect the brain from an infectious agent – such as a bacteria or virus.

More specifically we’ve learned over the years that herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) – the kind that causes cold sores – never really leaves the body. It lies dormant in your neurons until something triggers it to become active again.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

It’s amazing how confusing the concept of exercise can be. Ask five different fitness experts what you should be doing, and you’ll get five different answers.

“You should workout every day…”

“It’s okay if you only workout on the weekends…”

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Some of the simplest foods are the ones that are best for you. In the past few weeks I’ve shared a few of my favorites with you. You learned all about the health benefits of blueberries and avocados.

Now let’s take a look at the wonderful world of nuts.

I like all of them. I eat them by the handful. I add them to salads and sprinkle them over veggies. It doesn’t matter what kind they are, so I usually buy mixed nuts. But other times, I’ll just grab a bag of one type of nut or another.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

In the July 25th issue of Advanced Natural Wellness you learned how antibiotics are contributing to inflammatory bowel disease in older adults.

Today I would like to share more information on a specific class of antibiotics: fluoroquinolones. These drugs come with a long list of disabling side effects. It’s not just a few minor side effects – or even a lot of minor side effects.

No. We are talking about at least five very serious, life-altering side effects. And physicians often don’t make the connection between fluoroquinolones and these side effects, even though the FDA has sent out numerous safety announcements associated with these antibiotics.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

It’s not just hot, it’s sweltering! And while it can be extremely uncomfortable, especially if you need to be outdoors or don’t have air conditioning, I have much larger concerns.

The kind of scorching weather we’ve been experiencing recently can have a terrible effect on your health. Especially if you existing health conditions. We saw it last year, during the heat wave that struck the Northwest.

Last June, when most of Oregon and Washington were under an excessive heat warning, emergency room visits peaked on June 28, 2021. On that day there were 1,038 emergency room visits for heat-related illness. That compares to only nine heat-related ER visits on the same day in 2019.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

There are a lot of reasons men experience erectile dysfunction. At the top of the list are vascular problems. If you don’t have a healthy blood flow, you’re not going to be able to get and maintain an erection.

This connection is so well established that I often warn male patients that ED is a crucial early warning sign of cardiovascular disease.Why is this? Well, the penile arteries are

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Baby, it’s hot outside!

It looks like another temperature-breaking summer is here. And if it’s anything like last year, it’s time to find ways to stay cool and beat the heat.

In addition to staying as cool as possible, one of the most important things you can do when temperatures reach extreme highs is make sure you’re eating foods that will provide you with plenty of hydration and nutrition.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Like a lot of other people, I usually have a cup of coffee or green tea in the morning to get my day started.

Both of these caffeinated beverages are high in antioxidants. They boost my energy levels and brain function. They’re great for my liver and lower my risk of stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and type 2 diabetes. Plus they help burn fat. But if you have any known arrhythmias or atrial fibrillation, your doctor may have told you to avoid caffeine altogether.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Decreased walking speed often occurs as we age. And as a physician, I often use gait speed to get a handle on the general health, physical mobility and frailty of some of my older patients.

Slow gait speed can also be a sign that mild cognitive impairment or dementia is in a patient’s future. It really all depends…

We know that slow walkers in their 40’s have smaller brain volumes, show more cortical thinning and a greater number of white matter lesions – all of which are linked to mental decline and dementia.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

After getting a bad rap for the last 40 years or so, eggs are finally back on the menu!

Years and years of scientific research has concluded that there is no link between egg consumption and high cholesterol. Even the US Dietary Guidelines recommend eating eggs as a healthy, nutrient dense source of protein.

But some people are still afraid to eat them. And that’s a shame, because they are missing out on all of the health benefits that eggs offer.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

One of the most neglected parts of the human body is the feet.

Most people – especially men, but women can be just as guilty – hide their feet inside a pair of shoes all day when they are out of the house, then tuck them into slippers or socks when they get home.

When they finally get around to looking at their feet, they might discover a bunch of gunk has built up between their toes. And this is truly a mystery – if you’ve had your feet covered all day, where did all this disgusting crap come from?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Ancient medicine had so many things right!

Long before we had antibiotics, antacids, pain relievers and a drug for every ailment, plants were our number one form of medicine. They were used to treat anything and everything.

Only recently are we rediscovering the healing power of herbs, spices and plant extracts that were used medicinally thousands of years ago. And we are finding some real gems when it comes to the incredible effect some of these medicinal plants have on our health.

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

The Scandinavian people have been sweating their way to great health for centuries. It’s a hallmark of their culture, especially in Finland. These guys have somewhere around 3.2 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million Finns.  So that’s one sauna available for nearly every two people in the country.

It’s a lifestyle!

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

When I was growing up, the only time people talked about fiber was when they were constipated. But most of them never actually tried to eat more of it. Instead, they would just take some castor oil, prune juice or ex-lax until the next time they experienced bowel problems.

But these days we hear a lot about fiber and how good it is for us. It reduces body weight, lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, helps with diabetes, reduces inflammation and improves immune function.

How can fiber do all of this? After all, isn’t fiber indigestible?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

Here’s a number that will knock your socks off. About half of all U.S. adults – 116 million of us – have high blood pressure.

Good grief! That’s one out of every two people! It’s no wonder blood pressure meds are taken by so many people.

These medications can be a lifesaver when used properly. But they shouldn’t be used long-term as your primary source of blood pressure control. Just like most prescription meds, they come with their own set of problems.