Everyone loves the idea of eating a mostly plant-based diet. It’s healthy. It’s wholesome. It’s just downright good for you!

Whole, plant-based foods are great for your heart, blood pressure, metabolism and memory. They protect against age-related health conditions, and can work wonders for your waistline.

But there is a huge difference between the health effects of fresh whole foods that go from the farm to your table, and those that are ultra-processed for use in plant-based meat alternatives.

What kind of mouthwash do you use?

There are so many choices these days and the claims are hard to know which one to choose. All of them promise to give you sweet-smelling breath. Some state that they’ll strengthen enamel. Others guarantee to whiten your teeth or pledge to kill germs that cause gum disease.

Your mouth is teeming with bacteria, so this may sound like a good thing. Swish around a little mouthwash to kill all of those wicked microbes and you’ll have a cleaner, healthier and fresher-smelling mouth, right?

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.

But kidney function decreases as we get older. And 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.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned that vitamin D is necessary to regulate the absorption of calcium in your body to help keep your bones strong and healthy.

But Big Pharma is trying to change the dialogue about vitamin D.

One thing we are seeing are more and more reports stating that routine vitamin D testing is unnecessary. The reason?

Well, why test for it when people can buy vitamin D and take it on their own, regardless of their blood levels?

Nearly all men will experience an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH) in their lives. At some point, they will find themselves making constant trips to the bathroom, especially at night. And it may seem that urgency is required… but when you stand over the toilet you may only be able to dribble.

You see, a normal sized prostate is about the size of a golf ball. But over the years, it can become as large as a tennis ball. When this happens, it presses down on your urethra like a vice. This can cause all sorts of troubles when it comes to passing fluids from your bladder through to the toilet bowl.

As a result, up to 50% of men over the age of 50 – and up to 80% of men over the age of 80 – will experience urinary tract symptoms cause by BPH.

Do you ever experience a weird flutter in your chest? Maybe your heartbeat feels like it skips a beat every now and then. Sometimes it might seem like it’s pounding or racing. It could even feel like your heart just performed a flip-flop.

If any of these happen occasionally and is a short-lived sensation, it’s generally not something you have to worry about. In fact, most heart palpitations are harmless, and can be caused by any number of reasons.

Stress and anxiety are at the top of the list. Among other things, the emotional distress associated with these conditions alter brain activity in a way that makes the heart more susceptible to electrical instability and palpitations.

When I go to bed at night, I often use a sound app on my phone to help me sleep. I like to listen to cricket noises or rain. Anything from nature works. But sometimes I just want white noise. On those nights, I play an air conditioner background noise. It blocks out most other ambient noises and it’s constant.

But you would be surprised at the effect certain sounds can have on your health, and how sound is gaining ground for its role in relieving stress, soothing anxiety and positively shifting brain chemistry. In fact, we actually had two speakers at U.Miami’s 2022 “Planetary Health to Human Health” conference who spoke on the topic.

Sound has been used to soothe and stimulate since the beginning of time. For example, the unique sounds of the Andean panpipes, or pan flutes, have been around for thousands of years. Originally, they were made from bone and clay, but now they use bamboo.

Milk. It does a body good.

I agree with this statement… as long as it’s intended for babies who are suckling at their mother’s breasts.

For adults? Not so much.

When I first started practicing medicine, I didn’t see a lot of liver disease. When I did run across a case, it usually involved someone who was a heavy drinker. There really weren’t a lot of surprises.

Sadly, this is no longer true. We are seeing more and more cases of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  In the past couple of decades, I’ve seen a huge uptick in this silent killer in my own practice. And people who don’t drink alcohol are very surprised when they get a fatty liver diagnosis.

NAFLD occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver. Eventually, that fat buildup begins to affect liver function and damage the cells and tissue.

And here is a sobering statistic…

Back in the 1980’s, the airwaves were filled with a song that wanted everyone to walk like an Egyptian. I never really understood the song itself, but I have to admit. All of the moves and grooves that went with it were great forms of physical activity.

Anyone who wanted to participate had to raise their hands, dip their knees and shake their hips. So it was a fun and exciting way to get people moving!

Now I have a new move for you. It’s called Nordic walking.

Back in the 1990’s and early 2000’s, men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer thought it was a death sentence. So they often opted to undergo immediate surgery or radiation treatments, which can both result in serious, lifelong side effects.

These days, however, men are increasingly choosing not to undergo immediate treatment. Instead, they are opting for active surveillance – holding off on treatment until there are signs the cancer may be advancing.

This is a great choice because, over the years, we’ve learned that most men diagnosed with prostate cancer don’t die from it. As a matter of fact, they are more likely to succumb to cardiovascular disease, COPD or Alzheimer’s disease.

In the last issue of Advanced Natural Wellness, you learned how ultra-processed foods can destroy your health. On the other hand, eating a nutrient-rich diet is one of the best things you can do to increase your chances of a long and healthy life.

But trying to figure out what to eat can be overwhelming. In fact, patients often ask me if there are certain foods they should be eating more of.

This is a great question. And I’ll share with you the same answer I give my patients.

I hate walking into the grocery store.

Most of the shelves are nothing but row after row of canned, processed, packaged, sweetened, and genetically modified foods filled with all sorts of things your body doesn’t know what to do with.

These foods consist of sugars, fats, oils, sodium and all sorts of additives guaranteed to fatten you up while leaving you sick, weak and hungry. You’ve got your flavor enhancers, bulking agents, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, color stabilizers, anti-caking agents, thickening agents and more.

A large part of the carbohydrates in your diet come from starches. Potatoes, breads, pasta and rice all fall into this category.

I’m not a fan of these types of starchy foods. That’s because, when you eat too many of them, they can drive your blood sugar up and lead to metabolic disorders. So these are some of the foods I consistently advise my patients to cut back on.

However, there is a certain type of starch that has garnered more and more interest over the years. It’s called “resistant starch.” And it falls into an unusual category. Along-side being a starch, it’s also a highly-fermentable insoluble fiber.

We all like to think that there is a single, correctable cause of disease. But the fact is, when things go wrong in the body, it’s never just one thing. And often-times, some of the things that negatively affect your health don’t even seem to have anything to do with the health condition in question.

Cognitive decline, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease are perfect examples.

Sure, it makes sense that the less we use our brains, the greater the likelihood we will experience cognitive issues. Even the idea that low physical activity reduces brain function makes sense. It is very easy to imagine how sitting around reduces the flow of blood, oxygen and nutrients to your brain.

High blood pressure is subtle. You can’t see it. You can’t feel it. You can’t hear it.

It can quietly damage the body for years before symptoms start showing.  And the harm it can do to your health is incredible. Heart attack, stroke, dementia, kidney damage and even sexual dysfunction.

But what really causes high hypertension?

It’s not just one thing, that’s for sure.

Nobody likes the feeling of an upset stomach. The nausea, vomiting, cramping and diarrhea are miserable.

And uggh! The thought of putting food into an already upset stomach sounds like a horrible idea. Just the smell of certain foods can make you feel queasy all over again.

Still, there are some foods and beverages that can provide a little nutrition – and even help soothe your unsettled stomach. This is true regardless of whether the issue is caused by something you’ve eaten previously, or if it’s due to a viral or bacterial infection.

Are knees that pop, creak, crunch or make grinding noises something you should be concerned about?

Well, the occasional crack or pop probably isn’t anything to worry about. In most cases, that’s just gasses being released from the joint.

But if one or both of your knees regularly makes rubbing, creaking and grinding sounds, it might be a symptom of inflammation and cartilage damage. It could also be a sign that you’ll start experiencing arthritic knee symptoms in as little as the next 12 months.

I use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) in the majority of my meals. Not only does it have great flavor, it’s absolutely THE BEST choice for my health.

Unlike margarine, butter and other saturated fats, EVOO has medicinal properties that can reduce your risk of health issues and early death. I’m talking about things like heart conditions, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and respiratory disease.

As a matter of fact, the American College of Cardiology suggests that replacing just over two teaspoons of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or dairy fat with olive oil each day is linked to up to a 34% lower risk of early death. So EVOO is the hands down winner.

Have you ever noticed that certain skin problems run in some families? Mom, Dad and the kids all seem to have the same sort of problems. Perhaps it’s life-long issues with psoriasis. Or maybe it’s eczema. There is a reason for this.

In particular, family members who grow up in the same household often follow the same eating habits.

Let’s say Mom and Dad grew up eating meat, dairy, white bread and sugary desserts at most of their meals. They end up feeding the same foods to their kids, and the kids pass the legacy on to the grandkids.

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.

Last month I mentioned an interesting thing about music… how certain songs can transport you back in time to a specific moment that evokes a cherished memory.

Have you ever noticed that the same thing happens with certain scents and odors? It might be a whiff of perfume that suddenly brings an image of your mother; or maybe freshly mowed grass that produces the youthful memory of hot summer days spent outdoors playing with friends.

There are a lot of memories, emotions and feelings associated with our sense of smell. So it’s probably not surprising that people who have a poor sense of smell also tend to have worse memories.

My patients often ask me which type of alcohol is the “healthiest.” And they’re always disappointed in my answer.

There is no “healthy” alcohol.

“But doc,” they say. “Red wine protects your heart” … “Moderate drinking helps you live longer” …

I love hearing about older people who have defied the myth of old age.

One of my favorites is Ernestine Shepherd. When she was in her late 50’s, she looked and acted like we seem to think people approaching their 60’s should. She was overweight, had no interest in exercise, and had never worked out a day in her life.

But guess what happened?

You often hear that vitamins and other supplements are a waste of money… that following a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables provides all the essential vitamins and minerals you need.

This is a nice concept in theory, but the fact is, only one out of every 10 adults eat the recommended daily servings of fruits and vegetables. This means 90% of Americans are eating less than the current guidelines of 1½ to 2 cups of fruit per day and 2 to 3 cups of vegetables.

In other words, the majority of Americans have significant nutrient gaps in their diet. And these deficiencies can lead directly to poor health.

So the idea that supplementation is a waste of money is absurd! This is especially wrongheaded (and short sighted) since the protective nutritional content of our food has decreased while the environmental and life stressors we experience have increased!

When most people think of protein sources, their first thoughts generally run toward poultry, beef and other meat sources. Next on the list are things like eggs, milk and cheese; again from animal sources.

Plant-based protein sources, like nuts or beans are never high on the list. For most folks, they aren’t even on the list!

Well, guess what? It turns out that people who eat higher amounts of plant-based protein have a greater likelihood of healthy aging compared to those who get most of their protein from animal sources.

Here’s a whopper of a statistic: Out of around 14 million US adults who have knee arthritis, it’s estimated that more than half of them will eventually require knee replacement surgery.

Now, going through knee replacement surgery isn’t a walk in the park (no pun intended). After surgery, you literally have to learn to walk again. And there will be a lot of physical therapy. Depending on your health, it could take several months to regain a normal gait and speed.

But here’s the thing…

Have you ever noticed that certain songs can transport you back in time? Back to a specific moment that evokes a cherished memory?

Or that you can hear a song on the radio that you haven’t listened to for 10 or 15 years and suddenly remember every word, note and nuance of it?

Some music is so familiar and upbeat that you can’t resist tapping your feet and bobbing your head every time you hear it, no matter where you are or what you’re feeling at the time.

And here is something that’s even more amazing.

Sleep is one of those things a lot of people don’t get enough of.

In our younger years, it just didn’t seem that important. We were too gung-ho to get as much done in a single day as we could. Who cared about sleep?

But as we age, the decision to sleep or not isn’t always our choice to make. You’ve probably experienced this more often than you did when you were younger. You want to sleep, but it evades you.

Have you ever noticed that all drug commercials are basically same? The words might change. But in the end, all of them portray happy people and happy families.

TV ads for GLP-1 agonists are some of the worst. These are those drugs you see advertised on TV to support weight loss and help manage blood sugar levels. Some of the brand names include Trulicity, Byetta, Victoza, Rybelsus, Monjauro and Ozempic.

Most of the advertisements for these meds include a feel-good catchphrase or jingle. Some of them even contain subliminal messages. The Ozempic commercial is a perfect example of this.

On December 14, 2023 the CDC announced that Flu and Covid cases had not yet reached their peaks this season. And sure enough, virus activity was on the rise during the last week of December. So we can expect to see this trend continue into January, maybe even February.

Your best defense against these types of viral infections is to ramp up your immune response, increase antiviral activity in your body for the duration, avoid sick people in general and, more specifically, steer clear of crowded and closed indoor spaces.

I like to ramp up my immune system with the foods I eat. In fact, years and years ago I created a great recipe for my own, natural, immune booster.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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

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

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!