Dear Health-Minded Readers, Lately, several of my patients have asked me about adding flaxseed to their diets. They’ve heard a lot about the important health benefits of Omega-3 fats and that flaxseeds are high in these good fats. While I agree that adding Omega-3 fats by adding flaxseeds to your diet is highly beneficial, you also need to exercise a little caution in doing so. Let me explain. The Health Benefits of Flax Seeds Flaxseed is truly a miraculous food with many health benefits that are varied and include the following: Rich in alpha linoleic acid. A rich Omega-3 fat, which […]
Wouldn’t it be great if you could have better sex just by eating the right foods? Well, if you know the foods to choose, you can do just that.
We hear about inflammation a lot, but what does it really mean? Put very simply, inflammation is our body’s immune system response when something is wrong, whether it’s infection, stress, or injury. Unfortunately, more studies are showing that inflammation plays a significant role in most of the diseases plaguing our society, including arthritis, heart disease, irritable bowel disorders, Alzheimer’s, Type 2 diabetes and even cancer. So what can we do to fight it? The good news is that there are many foods that calm inflammation in a variety of ways. They’re anti-inflammatories and they keep our arteries young and less […]
Dear Health Enthusiasts, Only several years ago, olive oil was only really thought of as a specialty cooking oil you would buy in the “foreign food” section of the grocery store, mostly when you wanted to whip up a Mediterranean-type recipe that called for it. Even I was unaware of all the health benefits of olive oil, as well as its multiple other uses, until just a short time ago. Now, I routinely recommend it to all my patients, 1-2 tablespoons daily, for all the wonderful health benefits it confers. And that’s not all. My patients are frequently sharing with me […]
When pomegranates arrive on produce shelves, they remind me that fall is here and the holidays are upon us. Pomegranates are in season during fall and winter, and they deserve a place on every holiday table because of their beautiful color and cranberry-like flavor. In my AGE GRACEFULLY COOKBOOK, I have a recipe for Pomegranate Iced Tea that utilizes the juice of this amazing fruit along with its beautiful red seeds. It’s a festive drink for any occasion. In my AGE BEAUTIFULLY COOKBOOK, I have a delicious recipe for Guacamole with Pomegranate Seeds, and if you love Brussels sprouts like I do, […]
Cranberries are high in antioxidants and immune-boosting vitamin C. They even have a bit of resveratrol in them—the heart-friendly nutrient found in red wine. This recipe will keep for many days in the refrigerator. I use it in my Cranberry Bread Pudding and on its own as an accompaniment for poultry. YIELDS about 4 cups Ingredients 1/2 cup water 1 cup brown sugar or coconut sugar 1 cup fresh cranberries Procedure 1. Boil the water and sugar in a large nonreactive saucepan, such as copper or enamel-coated cast iron, for about 5 minutes. 2. Add the cranberries and boil until […]
This bright red bog berry has claimed a variety of remarkable healing properties, especially for women (researchers linked cranberries to healing urinary tract infections in the early 1990s). Because cranberries don’t grow in the subtropical climate of southeast Asia, I didn’t discover them until I moved to the United States. I like their tart flavor, and I eat them raw (in cranberry-orange relish), cooked or dried (they make a great snack!). Get the recipes: Cranberry Bread Pudding Cranberry Compote Buffalo Sliders with Cranberries In addition to their taste, I value the many health and wellness benefits cranberries provide. Cranberries are loaded […]
While artichokes may not be the easiest food to consume, the sheer volume of nutrients, minerals, and phytochemicals found in this extraordinary vegetable make eating them well worth it. Most people’s favorite part of the artichoke is the heart, but the leaves are actually the source of a vast majority of its health benefits. In fact, artichoke leaf extract has proven to be an extremely beneficial food with a host of illness-fighting, age-extending properties. Artichokes are packed with phytonutrients such as quercetin, rutin, gallic acid, and cynarin, all working to protect against many health risks including cancer, heart disease, liver […]
“Eat your vegetables!” is a familiar refrain of parents the world over. When I was a young girl in Southeast Asia, my father insisted I eat my vegetables. He was a doctor and he knew the power of eating whole, fresh foods, especially fruits and vegetables. Today, I see so many quick-service restaurants
Some of the most frequent complaints I hear from my patients, especially those older than 50, involves muscle cramps and spasms, notably those leg zingers that make them jump out of bed in the middle of the night; trouble sleeping; and daytime stiffness or pain in their muscles. Most of my patients laugh these symptoms off as just “getting old,” but they’re surprised when I tell them these are more likely symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, which can easily be corrected. Read on and see if you have any of the common symptoms of low magnesium and what I recommend. […]