Specialized eating plans are no longer that “special.” In a recent Nielsen survey, 31 percent
What does food have to do with brain health? Everything. Psychiatrists ask a lot of specific questions to evaluate patients, but they never ask their patients what they eat. As funny as it sounds, we don’t talk about food in medicine and mental health, even though we talk about the compounds in food — omega-3 fats, b-vitamins, magnesium — a lot. Things really shifted for Dr. Drew Ramsey when he realized food presented an incredible opportunity for patient empowerment and added a delicious method in his clinical toolbox, along with psychotherapy, medications, and other lifestyle interventions such as exercise, to […]
Has your doctor lied to you? Eat low-fat and high-carb, including plenty of “healthy” whole grains—does that sound familiar? Perhaps this is what you were told at your last doctor’s appointment or visit with a nutritionist, or perhaps it is something you read online when searching for a healthy diet. And perhaps you’ve been misled. Ken Berry, MD, FAAFP is here to dispel the myths and misinformation that have been perpetuated by the medical and food industries for decades. Dr. Berry’s bestseller, Lies My Doctor Told Me: Medical Myths That Can Harm Your Health, exposes the truth behind all kinds […]
Functional medicine practitioner Mark Hyman, M.D., dedicates his new book, The Pegan Diet: 21 Practical Principles for Reclaiming Your Health in a Nutritionally Confusing World, to “the confused eater committed to better human and planetary health.” We are all probably a bit confused about what to eat to stay healthy these days. Nutritional advice is, at best, conflicting, and at worst, confusing. Dr. Hyman attempts to cut through the clutter with his “un-diet—a simple set of principles blending science and common sense into guidelines promoting health, weight loss, and longevity that can easily be adapted to any philosophical or cultural preferences.” […]
Fermented foods are the new “it” food today, even though fermentation is a centuries-old process that was around long before refrigeration. Over time, with all of the modern convenience foods available to us, home-made fermented foods lost their appeal. But today’s rebirth of fermented foods makes good sense – they are powerfully good for us. In addition to the benefits of the food itself– for example, milk, soy beans or cabbage—the fermentation process creates lactobacillus that feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut, which in turn creates a natural balance of intestinal flora improving digestion, immune function, and absorption of […]
In the past few years, many of my patients have begun adding a variety of teas to their daily routine and I couldn’t be happier. As I tell my patients, various teas have been used in Eastern medicine for the treatment of many illnesses and conditions as well as to just stay healthy! There are a number of health benefits associated with drinking teas of all types that I would like to share that with you as well. A Tea For All Reasons As I mentioned above, tea has been used in Eastern medicine for centuries. For the last several […]
It may seem counterintuitive that eating certain foods can support weight loss but studies have shown a link between some types of foods and better weight management. For example, high fiber foods including whole grains, fruit, vegetables and nuts have been associated with lower body mass index (BMI) in large human studies. A feeling of fullness and concentrated nutrients in these foods may be part of the connection to a reduced BMI, smaller waist circumference and reduced risk of being overweight. It should be noted that simply increasing the amount of any of these foods listed below will not in […]
This month FoodTrients writer and nutritionist Ginger Hultin begins her four-part series on vitamins. Part 1 explores the pros and cons of taking supplements. If you have questions about supplements, we’ve got answers to this complex and sometimes confusing topic. The world of supplements is regulated in unique ways that can very much affect your health and pocketbook, too. Some companies offer health promises about supplement products that sound enticing but understanding what’s evidence-based and what isn’t can be a huge challenge. FoodTrients® is here to explore the good, the bad, and the ugly of the supplement world, if any […]
This is Part -2 in our 4-part series on dietary supplements. This week we take a look at FDA regulations, certification, and other safety considerations. If you’re going to take supplements, it’s important to know what to take and what’s safe. Dietary supplements aren’t regulated in the same way as prescriptions and food in the US but that doesn’t mean they’re innately unsafe. There are ways to find quality supplements including looking at the raw products used to create your vitamins, seeking certain third-party certifications, and making sure what you are looking at is safe for your unique needs (like […]
“Few things on earth are as misunderstood as women, food, and hormones,” writes Sara Gottfried, MD, the director of precision medicine at the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health and the clinical assistant professor of integrative medicine and nutritional sciences at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Pennsylvania. Dr. Gottfried is also the author of Women, Food, and Hormones: A Four-Week Plan to Achieve Hormonal Balance, Lose Weight, and Feel Like Yourself Again. She has a deeply personal interest in her subject: “I come to this topic as a doctor and scientist, but also as a case study […]