Nutrition

EATING PROTEIN TO AVOID MUSCLE LOSS – Sarcopenia Part 2

Last week, we talked about how we all lose muscle mass naturally over time. This series is meant to encourage you to work against that tendency as early as possible. We can minimize the loss if we try! Muscle tissue is in constant flux, being broken down and rebuilt constantly.  When we have soreness after…

Read More...

LIFESTYLE MATTERS!

We are born with genes derived from our parents. Although they remain with us through life, you are in charge of modifying them! You can lower your risk of many illnesses by your behavior.  A major study reported last week in the Journal of the American Heart Association showed that our everyday behavior affects how much…

Read More...

Pick a number … any number

At the end of the day, regardless of what else you consume, fiber-containing foods can help you and your microbiome move toward a healthy balance. Only plant-based foods contain fiber – so consider fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (lentils, chickpeas, beans), nuts and seeds. For this holiday season and going forward – go for a…

Read More...

A National Focus on Food as Medicine

On Wednesday, September 28th, 2022, at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition and Health, President Biden introduced a national strategy that recognizes the critical role that nutrition plays in health.  Efforts were spurred by the fact that 80% of our health expenditures go to treat preventable illnesses, and that one in ten households still do…

Read More...

Zooming with Chef AJ

Chef AJ is a chef and culinary instructor who been strictly plant-based for decades.  She hosts a YouTube channel that has over 200,000 followers.  Several months ago, Dr. Nathan was featured on her show and talked about Indian spices and their role in cooking, healing and culture.  She then introduced me to Chef AJ, who…

Read More...

The Human Microbiome – part three

Welcome back! This is part 3 of our series on the human microbiome. In brief, in parts one and two, we learned about prebiotics and probiotics being fiber and fermented foods, respectively. Now we’ll go on to what postbiotics are, and assess our current knowledge base and where this may lead going forward and how…

Read More...

The Human Microbiome – part two

Last week, we ended by saying that we determine the makeup of our microbiome by what we eat. We’ve been aware of the benefits of fruits and vegetables for a long time.  The microbiome has been the secret helper we never knew. This is the meat of the matter, so to speak. Carnitine is found…

Read More...

The Human Microbiome – part one

Be good to it so it can be good to you!   There is a huge village living inside of you. It is invisible to the naked eye, yet it plays a role in what  happens to the food you eat, the medications you take, the allergens you react to, how you react to  stress…

Read More...

Diet, Our Microbiome, and Our Risk For Heart and Kidney Disease

Last week, I attended – virtually, of course, the annual International Conference on Nutrition in Medicine cosponsored by the GW University School of Medicine and the Physician’s Committee for responsible medicine. Dr. Tang’s talk about how our bodies differ from each other based on the composition of the gut micro biome was fascinating. He is…

Read More...

Eating Right During Stressful Times … and For Life – Macronutrient Balance

Let’s start with a quick review!   The foods that we eat are made up of macronutrients, micronutrients, and phytochemicals. Macronutrients include carbohydrates and dietary fiber, proteins, and fats. Almost ALL foods are a combination of these macronutrients. It is important that we do NOT categorize foods by their dominant macronutrient. Foods are foods…. each…

Read More...