General

It’s a new year and there is that nostalgia in the air of having only the best life has to offer with a clean slate and a new start. We send wishes to each other for more money, less sickness and an end to the COVID 19 pandemic. While dreaming is a good first step, the next one needs to happen if we are going to move towards our desires out there in dreamland. Often that’s where we get stuck – what is the next step to be healthy? How can I keep going till I actually get to my health utopia? Those were the questions that haunted me many years ago at the start of my health journey. I suffered from obesity, arthritis, fatigue, migraines and constipation. I started my journey all the way back in elementary school where I was one of the heaviest kids in the class. I enjoyed loads of junk food and ate one meal a day all day long. My size and health issues multiplied as I made my way through high school and college. As a sophomore in college my freshman year clothes stopped fitting. I went clothes shopping and was trying on my usual size 16 in the stores when it dawned on me that those clothes were to small. I was now a size 18. That was it! This had to stop. That was my turning point. I began a new health journey. One step at a time, making choices that were foreign and starting routines that were bizarre, I made the trip. I kicked those extra pounds to the curb and have never gone back to where I came from.

You can succeed at your health goals this year. Maybe you’re trying to lose weight or reverse your diabetes. Maybe you want more energy or just want to feel like yourself again. If you can conceive it, and your heart can believe it- then you can achieve it. I’ll share what I discovered along my journey and what keeps me going year after year.  

1. Know Your Why – Is it Worth The Trip?

It’s one thing to want to feel and look great but it’s even more important to figure out why. Improving our health requires a decided commitment to making better choices everyday. Everyday for a long time. When your clear on your reasons for wanting to be healthier those same reasons give you the extra strength you need when your almost about to throw in the towel. That “why” will keep you looking from the present and up into the future, to the healthier version of you, which will be worth every sacrifice and effort. 

My reason for continuing on this health journey year after year is the fact that it I get to live my fullest life as a healthy me. There’s always so much I want to accomplish and sick me doesn’t get a lot done. When I am healthy and vibrant I can enjoy the relationships that mean so much to me, I can focus and learn new things as I expand my horizons. The lifestyle choices I make everyday are worth it because health is my greatest wealth. 

2. Study the map – Educate yourself

There is a lot of noise in the health space and its hard to decipher whose points are the most valid. I take my health information from the Bible, my understanding of human physiology and good science. With the convergence of these resources I always recommend a few basic principles to achieve optimal health – 1.eat an unprocessed plant-based diet, 2.daily exercise, 3.proper use of water inside and out, 4.reasonable exposure to sunshine, 5.clean air exposure, 6.adequate hours of sleep starting with early bed time, 7.proper stress management, 8. avoidance of unhealthy addictive substances.

Some helpful resources to learn more about lifestyle choices that are backed by the Bible, human physiology and good science include :

Books :  1. Ministry of Healing by Ellen G White, 2. Health Power by Aileen Ludington, MD, 3. Undo it by Dean Ornish, MD

Videos: 1. Forks over knives 2. Fat sick and nearly Dead

websites: 1. PCRM.org 2. nutrtionfacts.org

3. Keep Good Company – Find Support

It’s always easier to take a long journey when you have good company. That has been my experience on any adventure especially this life changing one. The changes you are deciding to make are not usually main stream and so your regular buddies will start to find you a little weird. It is going to help, big time, when you have folks around who understand what you’re doing and think your pretty cool for sticking to it. You may think you don’t know one such person but you never know. That co-worker of yours may just find it thrilling when invited to start a walking routine with you at lunch time. Your girlfriend miles away may find it cool to try out new plant based recipes with you. Maybe there is a healthy cooking program at the library where you’ll meet like minded individuals on a quest for the secret to great health.

I joined my local church health club. For many years we met up for healthy pot lucks and shared new insights that we gained from studying health books together. The strength and support I gained with those associations was essential to my lasting success. There’s a lot of strength in numbers.

You can also start out with supportive social media persons. Here are a few I find helpful:

@theplantbasedmd

@therealchefaj

@healthyheartdoc

@esserhealth

@thedoctoryami

@theminimalistbaker

4. Pace Yourself – Be Reasonable

Its always tempting to want it now and have the quick fix. The sad reality is that the quick fix doesn’t stick. You ‘re more likely to succeed if you take it one step at a time, one small goal first before you tackle the bigger ones. There’s a lot to learn about all the health principles I outlined earlier. It’s going to take some time to figure these out and exactly how to implement them into your life. Take them one at a time. Make changes in each area gradually but consistently. Start with your easiest area first and tackle something that you don’t find too hard to give up. For example if you decide you can swap out soda and sugary juice for water then stick to that goal and when you’ve consistently done that for at least 3 weeks tackle another goal. Don’t try to make changes in all these areas at once. You’re making life changes now that will become apart of the way you live.

5. Believe in Yourself – You Can Do It

It all begins in your mind. If you can conceive it and you believe it, you can achieve it. Don’t allow yourself to stand in the way. You were created and designed for a wonderful purpose. You want better for yourself and you deserve it. The Creator of all things wants you to live your best life. So why not now, why not you? When negative thoughts creep into your mind and you start to doubt yourself replace them with thoughts that are more positive and more powerful. “I can do this”, “I was created for this”, “I will succeed”. Your success will not come overnight. It will be a gradual daily process, like the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly. You will have falls and set backs but don’t let those define your outcome. Use them as learning tools to see what situations you need to avoid so you can continue on your road to success.

I can see it and I hope you can too. The best is yet to come. Just keep stepping….

China has been turned upside down by the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This microscopic organism has spread rapidly from person to person leading to the illness of thousands and death for over 250 individuals. The first case was detected in Wuhan, China on December 31st 2019 and it has since become a global issue as the virus has spread to other countries and was confirmed in the USA on January 30, 2020. So far there are 7 confirmed cases in the US and anxieties are rising as it will likely continue to spread.

It is important to understand how these viruses work and what we are dealing with to better prepare ourselves. Much is still not known about how this particular virus is spread but based on what we know about the coronavirus family it is most likely close person to person contact (within a 6 feet distance). Person-to-person spread is when an infected person coughs or sneezes and the virus travels neatly wrapped up in saliva or mucus and lands on the person close by. This is similar to how influenza and other respiratory bugs spread. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or possibly be inhaled into the lungs. It’s currently unclear if a person can get 2019-nCoV by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.

This is a virus which primarily affects the lungs. With most respiratory viruses, people are thought to be most contagious when they are the sickest. With 2019-nCoV, however, there have been reports of spread from an infected patient with no symptoms to a close contact.

Symptoms of 2019-nCoV infections, can range from no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. Symptoms can include:fever, cough and shortness of breath.

The Center for Disease Control advises that :

the best way to prevent infection is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

There is no pill or vaccine for the 2019-nCoV. It is important to remember that your immune system is going to be your primary line of defense if you get exposed to the virus. A strong and healthy immune system will quarantine the virus as it invades your body and should effectively destroy it. Most individuals who have done poorly with this infection were individuals with weak immune systems.

For more on how to prepare your immune system to fight for you read the prior blogs titled Fighting Back the Colds and Flu and Poisoning the Front Liner?

The best of health to you and yours

Dr Kathy

References

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/hcp/clinical-criteria.html

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

Almost everyone can agree it’s important to look at what, how and why we’re eating. Often times however we overlook the most crucial element and that’s the issue of “what’s eating us”. Stress is an important factor that impacts our health and well-being. The way our modern society is designed it can be pretty easy to get stressed out. Things that contribute to stress include
1. The pace of life- it almost seems like we’re on this non-stop treadmill and so we just keep going, going, going. We’re over-scheduled, get little sleep and are always going somewhere and doing something.
2. Lack of downtime- we work long hours, have long commutes to and from work, and are chauffeuring our kids to a myriad of endless activities.
3. Negativity – being surrounded by negative people and negative news is a sure way to increase or stress level. Just 5 minutes of the Nightly News and my pulse rate starts to rise.
4. Media overload- this is definitely proven to increase our stress level. Excessive TV, talk radio, ads and constant bombardment by the media is draining and mentally exhausting.
5. Lack of water and poor nutrition – dehydration and poor nourishment plays a role in our coping abilities or lack of ability to deal with stress. Negative stress causes unpleasant symptoms. A few of which include anxiety, poor sleep, forgetfulness, fatigue, headaches, constipation and depression. And that’s just the short list. Stress has also been linked to many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure and suicide.
So what’s a girl to do when she feels stressed out and overwhelmed. First it is important not to ignore that there is a problem. Acknowledge that you are stressed out and that something has to be done to address this.
1. Slow down – there are only so many hours in a day. You cannot get everything done today. You can’t make it to every event. Don’t give into the temptation to over schedule yourself or your family.
2. Take some time for you – reserve a few moments on a regular basis to hear your own thoughts. Time for deep breathing and to feel the relaxing power of a slow exhale. Time to be with yourself before you forget who that is.
3. Minimize negativity- negative news and people should be taken in small doses only, and not frequently.
4. Decrease media time- limit the amount of time you spend on your devices. Your mood will likely improve and you won’t be as drained.
5. Drink more water and eliminate junk food- this simple intervention will increase your stamina and allow you to face stress with more vigor and vitality.
As you take inventory of your daily stress remember to say the serenity prayer- God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference!

Enjoy the holidays with a little less stress,

Dr Kathy

References
Individual and Day-to-Day Differences in Active Coping Predict Diurnal Cortisol Patterns among Early Adolescent Girls
Michael R. Sladek,corresponding author1 Leah D. Doane,1 and Catherine B. Stroud2
J Youth Adolesc. 2017 Jan; 46(1): 121–135.

Children’s implicit understanding of the stress—illness link: Testing development of health cognitions
Tara J. Cheetham, 1 Julie M. Turner‐Cobb,corresponding author 1 and Tim Gamble Br J Health Psychol. 2016 Nov; 21(4): 781–795.

November is national diabetes awareness month. When we realize the magnitude of the damage being done by this one disease it really is important to make everyone aware of how to avoid and reverse this disease. Diabetes affects over 29 million Americans and is a major problem in many other countries that have adopted a Western diet and lifestyle.
The full name for this disease is diabetes mellitus. The meaning in the Latin and Greek refers to a siphon or tube that carries sweet liquid. In diabetes the blood and urine are filled with sugar. So much so, that in the early days of diagnosing diabetes doctors would actually taste the urine and they found that it had a sweet honey – like taste. I’m glad I practice in a different era.
So why is all this sugar piled up in the blood and urine? Well let’s first look at normal before we go to the abnormal. When we eat food that breaks down to glucose also known as sugar, that sugar is what we need for energy. As soon as we begin chewing our food begins to break down to sugar. This sugar goes from our mouth, stomach and intestines into our bloodstream and to our cells.
The cells are the workers in our bodies. The food they need to get the job done is in the form of sugar. That sugar comes right to their front door. Almost like Uber eats. The food is brought right to them. However, for the food to get into the cell we need insulin. Insulin acts as a key that opens the door of the cell and allows sugar to enter. Without the key, you can’t open the door. Without insulin, sugar can’t go into the cell.
Many times in a diabetic person there is lots of insulin but the keyhole is jammed up with gum. Gum? Okay stay with me, this will all come together in one second. If you put gum in your keyhole you can’t get the key in. Well it’s the same thing with diabetes. There are various reasons why sugar can’t get into the cell. One could be that there just isn’t enough insulin, like in Type I diabetes. So no key, no open-door. The most common type of diabetes, which is Type II diabetes, is when the keyhole is filled up with gum. What is that gum? Well, the latest research has shown us that this gum represents fat. When the diet is high in fat it prevents insulin from properly opening the channels for sugar to go in.
There’s a lot more to be said on diabetes but that will have to be another time. For now, as you tackle diabetes focus on eating whole, unprocessed plant-based foods. Identify all the fatty, greasy foods in your diet and banish them to the dark side. As you do this you’ll see wonderful results, with less sugar in your blood and more of it going to the right place to give you the energy that you need.

Here’s to giving the boot to diabetes,
Dr. Kathy

References

1. A low-fat vegan diet and a conventional diabetes diet in the treatment of type 2 diabetes: a randomized, controlled, 74-wk clinical trial^{1,2,3,4. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009 May; 89(5): 1588S–1596S.Neal D Barnard, Joshua Cohen, David JA Jenkins, Gabrielle Turner-McGrievy, Lise Gloede, Amber Green, and Hope Ferdowsian}

2. A Plant-Based High-Carbohydrate, Low-Fat Diet in Overweight Individuals in a 16-Week Randomized Clinical Trial: The Role of Carbohydrates. Nutrients. 2018 Sep; 10(9): 1302.Hana Kahleova,^1,* Sara Dort,¹ Richard Holubkov,² and Neal D. Barnard^1,3

In the last blog titled “fighting back the colds and flu” I pointed out some simple ways to help your immune system win for you. The immune system is key in winning the battle against those colds and flu this season. Those white blood cells are primed and eager to fight the viral invaders. As much as they want to defend us from viruses, bacteria, fungus and even cancer cells they can’t do a whole lot if they are been poisoned. The most common poison these guys have to battle on a continual basis is one that seems so innocent and sweet. Sweet with a capital S. Processed sugar is a potent and effective way to cripple our white blood cell fighting power. Studies have demonstrated that when white blood cells are exposed to elevated levels of sugar they become sluggish and move slowly. “By drinking 1 Liter bottle of soda or by eating 100 gram sugar (about two cans of soda), the reactivity of WBCs reduces 40%. This can make our immune system disable for 4 or 5 hours.” (1)

Processed and refined sugar innocently disguises itself in our foods and if we aren’t keen to look for it we won’t even know its there. What helps me identify hidden refined sugars is keeping in mind that if it is not in its natural state something was likely added to, are taken away from it. Reading labels also helps. Places refined sugars lurk are in commercial sauces, dressings and gravies. Something as basic to our every day diet as ketchup is loaded with sugar and we have to be careful to limit these significantly. Also keep in mind that sugar goes by many different names. Some names you’ll find for added sugar are high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin, barely malt, white sugar, evaporated cane sugar and more.

Sweet is a treat and so instead of totally avoiding yummy sweets I try to pick less refined forms to sweeten my foods. Dried fruit are a great option and liquid sweeteners like local honey and maple syrup are still sugars but a better alternative to the more refined crystallized forms. Those sugars found naturally in food don’t cause as much havoc as the added refined sugars (2).

Give those fighter cells a chance to win for you.

Here’s to a stronger immune system and less sniffles this season

Dr Kathy

References

1. Ullah H, Akhtar M, Hussain F. Effects of Sugar, Salt and Distilled Water on White Blood Cells and Platelet Cells. Journal of Tumor 2015; 4(1): 354-358

2. Intakes and sources of dietary sugars and their association with metabolic and inflammatory markers Laura O’Connor,^a,b,∗ Fumiaki Imamura,

Clin Nutr. 2018 Aug; 37(4): 1313–1322

The weather is changing and with the cold climate comes those dreadful colds and flu. You already hear your kids sniffling, sneezing and coughing and you are bracing for your turn. Those bugs seem to be no respecter of persons as they diligently make their rounds till everyone is whimpering at their mercy. Is it even possible to put up a fight against those nasty viruses? It most certainly is! Understanding your enemy and equipping your own defense system is one way to prepare for the impending battle. The battle which you hope to win.

Colds and flu are caused by viruses. These viruses thrive best in cold temperatures which is why the incidence of colds and flu are highest when the temperature falls. They enter the body usually by direct contact with your mucous membranes which are the lining of your nose, mouth and eyes. Once they break through that first line of defense they are confronted with white blood cells which are real mean warriors. They have no mercy and start attacking with serious ammunition to destroy the invader. The aim is to annihilate the virus, bind them up and put them out. Those white blood cells are key players in what is know as your immune system. The immune system is a well orchestrated army designed to fight any and every invader that seeks to do you harm. This includes viruses, bacteria, fungi and cancer cells. Yes, your immune system is important in fighting off cancer too.

Your body is built with many lines of defense to prevent the cold and flu virus from wreaking havoc. The first line of defense is incorporated right where the virus first attacks. The mucous membranes. When a virus makes a successful landing in your nose you begin to sneeze and have increased mucus production. That is the body trying to kill the problem right there. This is your cue to be on guard and to heighten your efforts to stop this invasion. One simple intervention is to dress warmly from your core to all four limbs. Don’t allow any part of your body to be unnecessarily chilled. This is not the time to be cute and show off those attractive pecs and biceps. This is not the time for the kids to wear their favorite sleeveless outfit with no jacket. I realize kids never feel cold. Mine are never cold either but they need to bundle up. The theory behind  keeping the entire body warm is based in physiology. We need good circulation of blood throughout the body to keep those soldiers (white blood cells)manning their forts. Keeping the body warm, allows a good circulation, especially to where the invasion is occurring. Exposure to cold causes vasoconstriction (blood vessels to narrow) and a decreased supply of blood to critical regions of the body. Decreased blood supply means decrease defense. Decrease defenses and the viruses are winning. So put on that warm hat and scarf. Make sure that chest is covered and don’t forget those arms and legs.

Another simple intervention is preempting the bugs by washing your hands after likely exposure. Likely exposure would be if you are touching surfaces that others are touching like door knobs, furniture, counters, money and shaking hands. Hand washing is an effective way to decrease the transmission of bugs from others to yourself as they often hitch a ride on your hands as you innocently pick your nose or rub your eyes.

The final showdown all depends on how fit your defense system is. Is your immune system ready and prepared for battle? Are those white cells in top fighting condition? There is no time like the present to take inventory and make sure your army is ready to win for you. A key element in preparing your immune system for battle is to not poison the front liners. A common poison that makes your white cells limp and practically useless is exposing them to processed sugar. I can literally see your eyes growing big as you try to make the connection here. Yes, processed sugar. One major suppressor of the immune system is sugar that is processed and refined.  Not the sugars found naturally in foods.  Processed sugar is your white sugar, high fructose corn syrup, turbinado, corn syrup, cane sugar. Sugar masquerades by a few other names so you have to be so keen to identify it.

We’ll have to give sugar its own spotlight and talk more about this sweet traitor. In the mean time make sure the family bundles up, wash hands often and slash the sugar big time.

The best of health to you and your family

Dr Kathy

References

Fast food fever: reviewing the impacts of the Western diet on immunity

Ian A Myles Nutr J. 2014; 13: 61.

There are so many diets out there it can easily become overwhelming. Sometimes my patients mention new diets to me that I have never even heard off. New ones just keep popping up. I’ve often toyed with the idea of creating my own diet. But what would I call it? The DKD (Dr Kathy Diet), kind of catchy. But seriously, there really isn’t a need for a new diet because the evidence is overwhelming for the absolute best diet to promote health. Any guesses? The Mediterranean diet is a popular one with fairly good evidence to support long lasting health. The emphasis is often drawn to its fish and olive oil component when actually what makes that diet so healthy is its strong emphasis on whole foods, fruits and vegetables. It also strongly encourages enjoying meals in a positive social setting with family and friends. Something that’s missing in our fast paced society.

The whole food plant based diet (WFPB) is the best diet for health. The WFPB diet has astonishing data for preventing and reversing chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes. What about the Paleo and Keto diet? I have had patients see good short term results on these diets but the long term data for maintaining wellness is not available.  There is tons of research evidence available and mounting for a WFPB diet. Evidence that this diet is ideal for health in the short and long term. So if you start today you have a higher chance of staying healthy for decades to come. A higher chance of avoiding cancer, heart attack, stroke and diabetes.
What’s even more fascinating is that this type of eating not only helps heart disease, hypertension and diabetes but it also is effective in helping arthritis, acne, obesity, depression, irritable bowel disease and a whole lot more.
When you review the evidence it makes sense that this dietary recommendation should be the standard of care in our medical profession. The healing effects are greater than any one pill and the side effect profile are all pleasant ones (weight loss, clear skin, sharpened thinking, increase energy… not bad huh).
What can you eat on a WFBP diet.. a whole lot really. All vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, grains, beans and peas. The combinations and mixtures of these foods are endless. When you eat these foods in an unprocessed form you will find yourself full for longer and shedding those extra pounds.
Give it a try. Take it one meal at a time. Remember that change isn’t easy but this one may just be the healthiest decision of your life.

References

Healthy Plant based diets are associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality in US Adults. Hyunju Kim et al. The Journal of Nutrition, Volume 148, Issue 4, 1. April 2018, Pages 624-631

Health and nutrition aspects of sustainable diet strategies and there association with environmental impacts: a global modeling analysis with country-level detail. Lancet 2018

When I advise folks to transition to an all plant diet the biggest concern they voice is about PROTEIN? Where am I going to get my protein? The fact is we have all been taught that the best source of protein is from animal meat. This myth has been put on trial and busted over and over again but the memo was never made public. Really … I wonder why?
Yes, animal meat is a source of protein but it really is not the best source to maintain health. When you look at the full package and what meat brings with it… its really risky business to eat animal meat.
Animal meats and products like eggs and dairy have a large amount of fat and cholesterol. This fat is saturated and has been linked to many of our lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, osteoporosis and cancers. How you ask? Well in a nut shell the increased fat in the diet potentiates diabetes by affecting how well insulin can work. The increased cholesterol is presumed to be connected to plaque build up in the arteries leading to heart attacks and strokes. Breast, Prostate and Colon cancer are closely linked to increased saturated fat consumption. Increased meat protein in the diet overwhelms the kidneys leading to calcium being taken away from the bones as this protein in being processed. Those topics all deserve their own blog write up I realize. Leaving definitely no time to go into the issues regarding antibiotics and hormones concerns with meats.

So your question still stands though? where do I get my protein. Simple… the same place the animals get theirs … Plants. A plant based diet provides sufficient and adequate amounts of daily protein required for health. We need only about 45 – 55 g of protein a day (0.8 g per kilogram). The average American however eats 3 times that every day.
1.So first of all we need to consume less protein than we are doing now.
2. Next realize that there is protein in almost every plant food. Some have more than others and here are the power ones.
1/2 c Tofu -10 grams
1/2 c Edamame beans – 8.5g
1/2 c Lentils – 9 g
1/2 c Chickpeas – 7 grams
1/2 c peanuts – 20 grams
1/2 c Almonds – 16 grams
1/2 c steel cut oats – 5 grams
1 c- Quinoa 8 grams
1 TBS seeds – 2 grams
One baked potato – 8 grams
one stalk broccoli- 4 grams
5 mushrooms – 3 grams
1 cup of blackberries – 2 grams
1 slice of Ezekiel bread – 4 grams

So if you have a bowl of oatmeal with blackberries, a slice of Ezekiel toast and peanut butter that’s already over 20 grams of protein right there. You’re half way there and you even haven’t gotten to lunch yet. For lunch if you have a baked potato with lentils and broccoli you can get to 30 grams easily. You haven’t gotten to Dinner yet and you’ve met your daily requirements.
The beauty about plant protein power is that you not only get all the protein you need but there are loads of added benefits like antioxidants, phyto-chemicals and a load of other protective nutrients to fight disease and keep healthy and strong.

References

Meta analysis of randomized controlled trials of red meat consumption in comparison with various comparison diets on cardiovascular risk factors. (in other words – Substituting healthy plant proteins for red meat lowers risk for heart disease.) Circulation April 9, 2019

Association of animal and plant protein intake with all- cause and cause- specific mortality. Song, M JAMA 2016

Vegetarian dietary patterns and mortality IN Adventist health study 2. Olrich, M. JAMA, 2014

Anything worth having requires some effort to get it. If you want a vibrant marriage you need to put time into maintaining the relationship, if you want a successful career you have to sacrifice to make it to the top, if you want well-adjusted children you have to dedicate quality time to nurturing them throughout life. It is the same principle with health. If you want great health full of energy and vitality you need to be willing to put the effort in to get it.

Once I met a really interesting patient in clinic who was unfortunately quite sick. He had multiple illnesses affecting almost every organ in his body. My heart went out to him and I began sharing how he could reverse some of his disease with good nutrition and better lifestyle choices. He listened politely and in a most jovial tone said “Doc I am not ready for all that. I want you to put that all in a little green pill and I will gladly take it.” I laughed with him because we both knew there was no such thing. He had been taking tons of pills and was still sick. For sure I did not have the perfect little green pill to restore his health. As he stared into my eyes he wanted me to help him feel better but he was not prepared to put forth the effort to get the results he so badly wanted.

The secret to great health is really no longer a secret. It is actually confirmed by the laws of nature, sound science and healthy communities around the world. The key to great health can be found right inside your own home. We don’t have to travel to an exotic clinic of natural healing, we don’t have to empty our retirement fund to buy products upon products filled with promises of well-being. It simply starts with a commitment to yourself to make better choices every day. Great health is a culmination of the little choices we make every day. And every day you get a chance to reclaim the health you deserve.

What are these every day little choices that add up to great health. First make the choice to move to an unprocessed plant diet. That may sound like a strange combination of words but it simply means eating foods from plants that are as close to their original state as possible. “Oh boy” you say, that sounds like green salads all day long. Absolutely not!  An unprocessed plant diet is overwhelmingly full of variety. Eat all kinds of foods from the group of vegetables, fruits, roots, beans, peas, nuts, seeds and grains. That’s a whole lot of food to choose from. Next ditch those sugary drinks and make the choice to drink lots of water. Pencil in outdoor exercise a few days a week and breathe deeply as you get your work out in the fresh air.  Going to bed early has not gotten the credit it deserves and many of us rob ourselves of adequate sleep each night. This will have to change in your quest for great health. Burning the midnight oil only leads to a lowered immune system, chronic fatigue and weight gain. Stress control should be high up on the list when we have a goal of being healthier. Stress kills. It can’t be said any plainer than that. If you find yourself constantly involved in multiple stressful situations make a plan for how you will decrease that stress level and keep it under control. It doesn’t matter what you eat, if something is eating you up on the inside you’re guaranteed to get sick.

I don’t know if my patient ever found that little green pill he was hoping for but I hope that you will find better health as you make better choices each and every day.

Chronic musculoskeletal pain and function improve with a plant-based diet. Complement Ther Med. 2018 Oct;40:64-69. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2018.08.001. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

The role of diet for prevention and management of hypertension. Curr Opin Cardiol. 2018 Jul;33(4):388-393

There’s a misconception swirling around that multiple small meals a day is ideal for health. Or  that 3 meals with 2 – 3 snacks is the best way to avoid hunger and control your calorie intake. When I first had a patient mention this to me in the office I almost fell off my chair as I asked “where did you get this from”. She explained this came from her dietician and I knew we were in for problems if my patient followed that advice. Since that time I have heard this notion repeated on multiple occasions and I always want to break out and do a physiology lesson so folks could realize that this is not how our bodies were designed to function. The physiology of digestion is such that food begins to break down as soon as we place it in our mouth. It then makes its way to the stomach where it takes between 4 – 6 hours for the meal to be well digested. After this the food passes to the other parts of the system for further processing. Notice it takes at least 4 hours for food to leave the stomach and it is important that we give this delicate organ the time it needs to get the job done. When you add food in the middle of a digestion cycle the stomach becomes overworked and fatigued. That’s when we get symptoms of indigestion, bloating and that sour stomach feeling. Our bodies were designed to have 2 to 3 meals a day with nothing in between except water. Many folks eat 5 to six times a day and some folks graze continually, always munching on something or drinking a sugary beverage. This habit of snacking is really hazardous to our health in more ways than one. Eating in between meals leads to weight gain, indigestion, heartburn, mental fatigue and gas.

But won’t you get hungry if you only eat three times a day or worse yet, two times? It all depends on what you eat. The key is to start the day off with a big breakfast filled with complex carbohydrates. That is unprocessed foods and grains. Not a breakfast of coffee and donuts or bagels and cream. That kind of breakfast has very little fiber and so the blood sugar level rises fast and falls fast leaving you hungry and dragging. A breakfast with whole grains like steel cut oats, barley, millet, hearty waffles, a nut butter and fruit is very high in fiber. This type of breakfast will have a slow release of glucose and up to 4 hours later you will still have energy to move and work. A lunch filled with complex carbohydrates and high fiber will be a great choice for lunch. Baked sweet yams with beans, cooked greens and a salad is an ideal lunch. If you must eat something in between meals because of hunger then reach for a piece of fruit or raw vegetable.

This kind of eating pattern will put you well on the road to a happy tummy and a smaller waist line.