Sometimes I’ll see patients with the complaint that they’re having trouble swallowing, or a sensation that food is getting stuck in their throat and doesn’t go down easily. The medical term for this is a hard word to pronounce –dysphagia (dis-faj-ah) – and could stem from a number of causes. If you experience difficult swallowing, here’s what you should know about it. Dysphagia – What Trouble Swallowing Could Mean Trouble swallowing – dysphagia – rarely occurs on its own. It usually accompanies some other condition of which it is a symptom. It most frequently occurs in older people, and those with […]
I see patients all the time who are confused about antioxidants. Often they think if they take vitamin C, they’ve got their bases covered. This just isn’t the case. To understand why, let’s take a deeper look at how your body works. When you eat food, the process your body uses to convert it to energy creates byproducts called free radicals. These free radicals are reactive molecules. When they encounter a healthy cell, they damage it and also create more free radicals. This process happens all through your body both in water-based tissues and in fat-based tissues. Your body uses antioxidants to clean up […]
Mounting evidence documents the ability of carnosine to prevent many of the detrimental effects of aging. In our youth, carnosine shields us from the onslaught of oxidation, glycation, DNA damage, and other reactions that injure tissues and cripple organs. The problem is that as we grow older, carnosine levels in the body decline
When I explain alternative treatment options to my patients often I get asked this one question “Is there an herb I can
Imagine you sit down to eat your favorite dinner. You can remember how this meal used to make your mouth water… how you couldn’t wait to take the first bite. But now, you’re dreading the first bite because you know it’s not going to taste like you remember. It’s not going to taste like it’s supposed to. Millions of people live with “taste dysfunction”. Some people with taste disorders lose their sense of taste entirely, but this is rare. For most people, a taste disorder distorts tastes or it affects some types of tastes, like sweet or salty, but not […]
Research has shown that tinnitus can be caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency. B12 deficiency is also a common complication in diabetes and celiac disease as they both share the inability to absorb B12 properly. People who have celiac disease and type II diabetes also have higher rates of nerve-damage related conditions like tinnitus. In addition, the older you get, the more at risk you may be for developing both a B12 deficiency and tinnitus. Why? As you get older, you lose a great deal of your ability to absorb B12 from your food through your intestine. Recent research has […]
I had a book signing and tasting event at Regency Park Oak Knoll Senior Living community in Pasadena, CA. We served some recipes from my cookbook, FOODTRIENTS: Age-Defying Recipes for a Sustainable Life. The attendees were fantastic and they asked me some wonderful questions. I want to share those questions and my answers with you, And I want to thank Regency Park for making me a part of their Speakers series. Q: What sets this book apart from other health books? A: This is really an anti-aging book, not a diet book, or a meal program. It’s full of recipes […]
A good night’s sleep is one of the foundations of well-being. If you are battling an illness, sleep is your body’s time to repair and strengthen its defenses. If you are healthy, getting enough quality sleep helps to keep you feeling good and gives you the energy you need to tackle all the responsibilities of your busy life. One of the simplest tricks for improving sleep is modifying your diet. It couldn’t be easier. All you have to do is learn what foods help you sleep and what foods keep you from getting the rest you need. Foods […]
A good friend of mine loves spicy food. A few years ago, though, he noticed that whenever he ate anything to spicy, he spent the rest of the evening with miserable indigestion. He asked me if there was any way he could enjoy the foods he loved without the unpleasant aftereffects. Fortunately, I was able to give him several recommendations that helped prevent his indigestion. As you get older indigestion becomes a more common problem. Six million Americans suffer with frequent indigestion. Whether you suffer from gas, frequent heartburn, or bloating these are all signs that something is not working quite […]
I have long believed that people can transform their health with the foods they eat. I encourage patients with a wide array of conditions to examine their diets in addition to using traditional treatments and medicines. For some, adopting a healthy diet full of produce, whole grains and lean protein can improve symptoms through weight loss. For people with certain diseases, choosing foods with unique, wellness-promoting qualities can provide a major boost to their health. For those seeking to actively prevent cancer, the foods you eat can bring big health benefits. Countless studies have been done on the effects of […]