If you catch a cold this winter, you’ll probably find yourself standing in the cold-and-flu aisle at your local drugstore trying to figure out what to take. Do you need a decongestant, antihistamine, cough suppressant, or something else?

The thing is, nothing you take will actually cure a cold or shorten its duration. And, according to an expert panel at the journal Chest, none of those meds will make a cold-related cough less severe or make it go away faster, either.

So whether you take cough and cold medicines or not, a cold will generally run its course in seven to 10 days, and a typical cold-related cough can last three weeks or more.

As an Advanced Natural Wellness reader, you know that chronic inflammation is the driving force behind aging and age-related disease. It’s an underlying contributor to heart disease, diabetes, stroke, arthritis, non-alcoholic fatty liver, kidney disease, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, Alzheimer’s disease, premature aging and so much more!

Unlike acute inflammation – the kind of inflammation you see when a wound turns hot, red and painful – chronic inflammation is invisible. You can’t see it or feel it. This long-term inflammatory state just silently eats away at your health and well-being.

For the most part, you can blame it on oxidative stress. This is something that occurs when unstable oxygen molecules known as free radicals build up in the cells and aren’t eliminated by the body. When this happens, it plays a crucial role in the development and persistence of inflammation.

When it comes to health, people place a lot of emphasis on their family history. They think “Oh, geez. Dad and grandpa both died so young that I probably don’t have much time left.”

Well I have some great news for you. It turns out that genetics don’t play nearly as big a role in your lifespan as previously thought.

In the largest analysis of its kind, researchers analyzed 54.43 million family trees from Ancestry.com – including birth and death dates for 406 million people. And what did they discover?

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.

I love fresh fruits and vegetables. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are good for my health… and yours.

Eating fresh, plant-based foods is one of the easiest ways to prevent cancer. These foods protect against high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke and mental decline. They preserve your vision, prevent diabetes, keep you thin and support a healthy gut microbiota.

But there’s a problem. Here in the U.S., only one out of every 10 adults eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. This means 90% of adults are eating less than the current guidelines of 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables.

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.

Hypothyroidism is one of those misunderstood conditions that is often either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. That’s because the symptoms are so wide-ranging that it can be difficult to pinpoint. Among other things, it can cause fatigue, brain fog, anxiety, irritability, depression, forgetfulness, weight gain, hair loss and dry skin.

In women, many of these symptoms are similar to those that accompany menopause. Plus, an untreated hypothyroid state can lead to depression. So it’s not uncommon for women to be sent away with a diagnosis of menopause or depression.

And because hypothyroidism is more common in women, many doctors completely overlook the possibility of low thyroid in men. But men can experience thyroid issues too, with the added symptoms of reduced sex drive, erectile dysfunction and low testosterone.

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.

People over in Japan often eat a traditional cucumber salad called sunomono. This dish is really easy to make. It’s simply sliced cucumbers in rice vinegar seasoned with a little soy sauce and sugar, and topped with sesame seeds. Other items, like seafood, seaweed or tomatoes, can be added as desired.

But there is something very interesting about this dish. Researchers in Japan found that men who habitually eat it have significantly lower blood pressure compared to those who don’t eat it regularly.

What is the big blood pressure lowering secret behind sunomono?

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

One thing I notice when it comes to health concerns is that most people don’t pay nearly enough attention to their eyesight.

This is a mistake.

Your eyesight is your key to independence. Once it starts to go, all sorts of things happen.

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

One of the biggest health threats here in the U.S. is the build-up of plaque in the arteries. It’s known as atherosclerosis, and it’s the underlying cause of about 50% of all deaths in westernized countries.

As plaque builds up in the walls of blood vessels, it causes them to narrow and can even block blood flow altogether. A completely blocked artery can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

But most of the damage happens when plaques rupture, which is what causes the majority of acute cardiovascular events. Some reports estimate that as many as 75% of heart attacks are caused by ruptured plaque.

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

We often hear about the negative health consequences of too much sodium in our diets.

 It raises blood pressure, contributes to plaque formation in the arteries and raises your risk of heart attack or stroke. It is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, can trigger kidney stones, aggravates joints and creates an inflammatory environment in the body.

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

How many times have you heard that vitamins are a waste of money and you’re just making expensive urine, throwing money down the drain if you purchase them?

But the fact is, vitamins are needed to fill in nutritional gaps that, if not addressed, could lead to some very serious health concerns.

You see, these days it’s virtually impossible to get all of the vitamins and minerals you need through diet alone.

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

Your knees are important to you. You use them every time you sit, stand, walk, lift or jump. But when they become inflamed and irritated, it can become debilitating and interfere with even the simplest of daily activities.

Around one in every two adults will develop symptoms of knee osteoarthritis (OA) at some point in their lives. So even if you don’t have symptoms of knee (OA) yet, you have about a 50/50 chance of developing it the future.

However, new research out of Baylor College of Medicine shows that there may be away to prevent OA in the knees from becoming painful.

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

Even though gout is quite common, it’s one of the most misunderstood forms of inflammatory arthritis.

Gout is caused by a build-up of uric acid in the body, a condition called hyperuricemia (pronounced hyper-yur-i-see-me-ya). This causes solid uric acid crystals to form in joints that results in excruciating pain.

The thing about gout is that the flare-ups occur on an irregular basis. They can happen suddenly once or twice a year. Maybe even less. In chronic cases, flare-ups will occur more frequently. And in either case the symptoms can last anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.

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

Back pain is the most common form of pain in the U.S. In 2019, 39.0% of people experienced some sort of back pain. And unfortunately, it hits almost everyone – around four out of every five people – at some point in their lives.

The good news is that most cases of back pain are temporary. About nine times out of ten pain improves without surgery. The bad news is that, during a flare-up, back pain can be excruciating and severely restrict daily activities. And there are a lot of reasons for it.

In most short-term cases back pain is likely caused by muscle strain. This can be caused by numerous reasons; lifting something heavy, repetitive movements, sleeping in the wrong position. You twist the wrong way, sit in the same position for too long or bend too far.

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

A lot of people get in a bad mood when they’re hungry. They can throw a temper tantrum and lash out at the simplest little thing.

These days there is a name for it. We call it being “hangry.”

But is it really just a mental state? A bad mood? A feeling of irritation or annoyance?

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

Something we are seeing a lot these days are patients who say their grandsons – who are in their 20’s and 30’s – are looking to begin testosterone replacement therapy. That should never happen, because it will affect a young man’s testicular size and future fertility.

The thing is, testosterone levels begin to fall off by one or two percent each year starting at around age 30. Over time this can have a big impact on the amount of free testosterone circulating throughout your body. Thus, low testosterone levels increase substantially with age.

So unless there are some major issues going on with these younger men, they should have much more robust testosterone levels than their aging counterparts.

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

Even though there are dozens of trials and dozens more ready to be done, the idea that men go through male menopause – or “manopause” – isn’t totally accepted in the medical community. It’s not even accepted by a lot of men.

Does that make it any less real?

In women, menopause is basically ovarian failure. The levels of female hormones produced by the ovaries plunge, her menses stop, and she is no longer fertile.

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

When you eat citrus fruits, cantaloupe or broccoli, you are boosting your vitamin C levels.  Nuts, seeds, avocados and spinach are going to increase your vitamin E intake. And you will get plenty of vitamin A from your leafy greens, along with your orange, yellow and red vegetables.

But where do you get your vitamin D?

With the exception of a few fatty fish, very few foods naturally contain it. So it’s hard to get enough vitamin D in your diet.

Plus, vitamin D isn’t really a vitamin at all!

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

Not very long ago, scientists believed that when we lost communication between brain cells, those connections and memories were lost forever. But there is one nutrient that can actually increase the communication between your brain cells.

The nutrient I’m talking about is phosphatidylserine (PS).

It is an all-natural substance that your doctor probably won’t tell you about. In fact, he probably doesn’t even know about it. That’s because since the early 20th century medical schools rarely if ever added a course or lecture on natural health care solutions. Why would they, we were trained to be prescriptionists unless a surgical residency was in our future.

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

On July 27th you learned all about blueberries, one of my favorite foods.

Another favorite of mine is avocados. And while avocados have never “officially” been part of the Mediterranean diet, I think they fit perfectly with the Mediterranean style of eating. They are rich and creamy with a mild taste. And they have an even more potent nutrient profile than olives.

Like olives, avocados are high in fiber, monounsaturated fats, vitamin A and vitamin E. Both of these fruits also have a high content of two powerful antioxidants, lutein and zeaxanthin.

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

Fresh organic blueberries are, by far, one of my favorite snacks. The taste alone is enough to have me hooked on these tiny berries. I might even eat them if they were bad for me.

But they aren’t!

As small as blueberries are, you wouldn’t think they would pack much of a punch. But I’m getting a plethora of health benefits every time I munch on them.

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

If you had chickenpox as a kid, you still have the virus in your body. It never really goes away after a chickenpox attack. Instead it sets up housekeeping in your nerves, where it can lie dormant for years.

But when you get older it can be reactivated as herpes zoster – the virus linked to shingles.

Once this happens, the virus travels to the skin and causes flu-like sensations like chills, fever and headache. And it doesn’t take long before tiny, red-rimmed blisters start appearing over the affected nerves. But the worst symptom, by far, is the nerve pain. It can be unbearable. A large percentage of adults over the age of 60 have opted not to receive the shingles vaccine. But even those who have received it can experience “breakthrough” cases. So there is no sure-fire way to prevent shingles.

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

Over 100 years ago, William Howard Taft was the heaviest President to ever hold office in the U.S. Weighing in at more than 340 pounds he was what we call morbidly obese. At 275 pounds, Grover Cleveland was the second-heaviest President.

But it’s interesting to note that neither of these men developed adult-onset diabetes. In fact, most morbidly obese people back in those days never became diabetic.

The reason is oddly simple. Prior to the mid-1900s, people weren’t exposed to all of the toxins that are so prevalent in our society today.  Many of these toxins are now being called diabetogens, because they have such a profound effect on blood sugar control.

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

Not very long ago, scientists believed that when we lost communication between brain cells, those connections were lost forever. But there is one nutrient that can actually increase the communication between your brain cells.

The nutrient I’m talking about is phosphatidylserine (PS). It is an all-natural substance that your doctor probably won’t tell you about. In fact, he probably doesn’t even know about it. That’s because, these days, medical schools don’t teach their students enough about natural health care solutions.

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

If you’re not getting enough sleep every night it might be by choice, or it might be involuntary. But either way, you probably don’t think of it as a health concern.

That’s a mistake. And it’s not just because a poor night’s sleep leaves you with brain fog that affects your thinking, decision-making and motor skills the next day. Less than optimal sleep can have a huge impact on nearly all aspects of your health:

It makes you gain weight and belly fat. Even in young, healthy and lean people, shortened sleep time is associated with an increase in calorie consumption, weight gain and a significant increase in belly fat.

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.

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

Two of the main reasons people avoid sugary foods is to minimize weight gain and maintain healthy blood glucose levels.

What most people don’t realize is that sugar isn’t the only type of food that interferes with your weight and blood sugar.

Let’s say you gave up donuts. We all know they’re loaded with sugar. Then dipped in more sugar. And then topped with more sugar. So giving donuts up is a great place to start.

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

As we age, we reach the point where old bone breaks down faster than it’s being replaced. The result is osteoporosis… weak, brittle bones that break and fracture easily. And it’s not just women who are affected.

Around one in three men over the age of 50 already have low bone mass density. And by age 75, their risk of a hip fracture increases rapidly.

What can you do about it?

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

The biggest fear for women who have survived breast cancer is that it will come back. This is a threat that survivors of all types of cancer face every day.

Sadly, there is no silver bullet to prevent recurrence. However there are things you can do in your life to help lower your risk. You probably already know that weight loss, stress reduction, plenty of physical activity and a healthy diet can all go a long way toward helping you remain cancer free.

But you may not be aware of a few specific foods that can have a big impact on your life when it comes to remaining cancer free.

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

When people reach a certain age, they often think it’s too late to make changes IN their lives that will make a noticeable difference. It’s like they think they have a “best before date” stamped on their foreheads.

But what if you didn’t have an age… didn’t know how old you were? Would that make a difference?

One of my favorite stories is the one of Geraldine Shepherd. She never performed a lick of exercise until she was nearing 60 years of age. Then she became active and started going to the gym. At the same time, she began avoiding foods like beef, processed carbs, foods with preservatives, junk food and sweets.

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

Isn’t it odd how you can hear a song from a single moment in your life, and immediately be transported back into the memory of that place and time? We remember clearly who we were with… what we were doing… how we were feeling. We remember clearly who we were with… what we were doing… how we were feeling.

Music punctuates so many events in our lives.

• It can be as simple as hearing “We are the Champions” and remembering watching from the stands as your favorite sports team brought home the trophy.
• It might be as heartfelt as listening to “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” and conjuring up your children’s wide eyes on that perfect Christmas morning.
• Or it could be as silly as catching the reggae sound of “Feeling Hot, Hot, Hot” and recalling how much fun you had when you vigorously danced to it on your first cruise.
• … and everything else in between!

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

Do you ever have that weird thing happen where you stand up and get dizzy? A lot of people think it’s because they stood up too fast. But it’s really more a function of your blood flow.

When you sit for a while, gravity causes blood to pool in your legs and feet. Then, when you stand up, more of it flows downward and you briefly have a reduced amount of blood available to your heart in the upper body. So it’s basically a form of low blood pressure that happens when you stand up.

It’s not uncommon. There’s even an official name for it. It’s called “orthostatic hypotension.”

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

I know people who have tried to go on a raw food diet. And I realize how appealing the concept is. It sounds so “clean” to get living food enzymes and nutrients from raw food. And it is!

Raw fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds are loaded with digestive enzymes and antioxidants. When you eat raw, organic vegetables instead of those that are cooked, you get more firm fiber, which is going to make your gut microbiome healthier.

This makes a raw diet especially appealing if you need to lose weight, since fiber can help you feel full longer so that you eat less. And a more balanced microbiome is great for your health.