September 24, 2024

Shoulder & Back Pain? Check Your Gallbladder!

Every now and then one of my patients will call me complaining of a kind of strange, uncomfortable pain in their right neck and shoulder blade area. Most often, they also don’t feel well either – a little nauseated, maybe a little stomach pain and don’t feel much like eating.  They wonder if they’ve gotten some kind of flu bug.   They’re often shocked when I tell them that it could be their gallbladder acting up and/or they may be passing gallstones! If this sounds like you sometimes, here’s what you should know about gallstones and gallbladder problems. Gallstones or Muscle […]
July 30, 2024

Are Supplements Safe for You?

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 […]
August 16, 2023

Rosemary Improves Memory and Cognition

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance.” —Ophelia in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Although poor Ophelia was mad, she appears to have been spot on in her association of rosemary with better memory. Despite its name, rosemary is not related to roses but, rather, takes its name from ros, which means dew in Latin, and marinus, which means “of the sea”. The herb was said to have clung to the goddess Aphrodite when she arose from the sea foam in her mythological birth. This “dew of the sea,” which is native to the Mediterranean area, is now cultivated in many areas of the world. […]
April 24, 2023

Foods That Can Help You Fight Allergies

When pollen is flying through the air on a spring or summer breeze, foods that reduce allergy symptoms can be a lifesaver. Eating specific compounds—such as the FoodTrients omega-3 fatty acids, curcumin, gingerol, oleuropein, and quercitin, as well as probiotics—go a long way toward reducing the swelling of nasal passages and the production of antihistamines. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in large, deep-water fish, whole grains, and nuts. You can also take omega-3 supplements daily to help fight inflammation. Curcumin is an ingredient of the spice turmeric. I have a few recipes using turmeric if you need some ideas for […]
April 11, 2022

Secrets of the Lymphatic System

“Research has shown that one system in particular—the lymphatic system—is the key factor in longevity, disease prevention, and living a healthy and vital life. Yet nobody—not the research community, not the medical community, certainly not the public—knows much about it. I want to change that, because after decades in the medical community as a cardiovascular surgeon, I have seen the effect and the promise of a healthy lymphatic system. And I see what an impact it can have—for better or worse—on your health, wellness, and longevity,” writes Gerald M. Lemole, M.D. in his introduction to Lymph & Longevity: The Untapped […]
April 5, 2022

Let’s Talk About Mental Health

Let’s say you twisted your ankle and it’s causing unbearable pain. You’ll likely go to a doctor, who will examine you and probably order an X-ray. If it’s just a sprain, you’ll be advised to apply ice, elevate and stay off it, and you’ll need crutches to get around for a while. If it’s a break, you might get a cast or a brace, or possibly an appointment with a surgeon, and some time off to heal. But what happens when your unbearable pain isn’t visible, can’t easily be explained or diagnosed, and doesn’t have a commonly accepted medical treatment? […]
February 19, 2022

Certain Foods Cause Overactive Bladder

If you’re like several of my patients, you may have an overactive bladder which keeps you running to the bathroom with an urge to urinate frequently. Some people have smaller bladder capacities than others and therefore naturally have to urinate more.  Other people may be eating certain foods that can irritate their bladder causing the need for them to urinate. I’d like to explain to you what some of these foods are and what you can do to minimize your “going” issues. Overactive Bladder – What Is It? Overactive bladder is a mild to severe condition that can not only become a […]
February 16, 2022

Hacks To Stay Healthy During a Pandemic

By Roberto Tostado, M.D. This pandemic has exposed our human fragility and compromised immunity from a steady diet of processed foods and a medical system that manages disease with drugs instead of healing with nutrition. We are vulnerable to infection, disease and death from this affliction of bad food and bad medicine. However, our quarantined existence can give us pause to reassess our habits and choices to create a healthier lifestyle for ourselves and loved ones and not consent to chronic disease and poisoned foods any longer. We have been weakened and debilitated by our own industries with chronic illness […]