I’ve seen thousands of patients who have previously “failed” to achieve meaningful results using popular fad diets. In fact, the failure of “fad” diets to solve my patients’ struggles has been so troublesome to me that it has caused a great deal of contemplation and reflection over the years. And, many times, I’ve lost sleep over the very common and extremely dangerous problem ... Continue
Nutrient Deficiency in America: Avoid the Epidemic
“Malnutrition” - What comes to mind? If you are like me, it is the disturbing and painful image of the frail, fly-covered, “nothing but skin and bones”, impoverished children of Africa. After seeing the suffering, we’ve all sensed that tug on our hearts to do something. Malnutrition seems all too painful and all too unnecessary in this age of plenty. ... Continue
Optimum Health… A Philosophy for Life!
I use the term “Optimum Health” frequently. After all, health matters... And when it comes to our health, mediocrity and compromise have no place. Optimum Health is a real-world personal goal that I embrace, and it is also my chosen professional mission as I seek to empower others to achieve and maintain Optimum Health. ... Continue
Blood Pressure Control by Healing your Blood Vessels!
Over 1,000 people will die in the U.S. today and every day this year from uncontrolled high blood pressure! An elevated blood pressure of 140/90 or higher, known as hypertension, is a major risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, two of the “Deadly 4” killers in America. High blood pressure is also associated with such scary things as impaired memory, slower thinking, ... Continue
Food Cravings: 3 Keys for Control
Ever experience a “consuming desire” or “yearning” for a particular food or snack? Maybe even when you absolutely “know” you are not hungry? But still, you just can’t get the thought of your favorite treat out of your mind until you indulge... If so, you have experienced what researchers call a “food craving”. Cravings for “wrong foods” (chocolate, salty snacks, crunchy treats, ... Continue
Fish Oil, Prostate Cancer, and Optimum Health… Why I Still Eat Fish and Take My Omega-3’s
I couldn’t help but wonder at the “fish oil and prostate cancer” headlines this week that were apparently intended to “scare” men from eating fish and taking fish oil. The research details being proclaimed, that fish oil is associated with prostate cancer risk has been debated before, but I consider the emphatic fears being communicated both new AND unbalanced. Even previous ... Continue
Obesity is a Real Disease!
The American Medical Association made headlines June 18, 2013 by acknowledging that obesity is, in fact, a true disease. For those struggling with overweight and for those of us engaged in the medical battle against obesity these past 20 years, this was not really news, but an affirmation of sorts. Indeed, both the medical causes and complications of obesity are just as medical ... Continue
Nutrition, Supplements, and Health
“As long as I cut my calories, does it otherwise matter WHAT I eat?” “Do I need vitamins and minerals?” “Do nutritional supplements really work?” “Is there a nutritional option to my prescription medications?” “If I simply take a ‘one a day’ multivitamin, isn’t that enough?” “My friends are getting cancer and heart disease, can I improve my chances with nutrition?” These are ... Continue
Nutrition, Optimum Health, & Preventing the “Deadly 4”
As a physician, my mission is your Optimum Health. Then, as I consider the best health-care approaches for you and others, I ask two questions: 1) How healthy are you now? And 2) If there are concerning trends among individuals, what can I do about it? These compelling questions had me research the top causes of death in America. Here is what I found... There are 4 diseases, ... Continue
Nutrition for Weight Loss and Health
Nutrition... just what is it and why does it matter? This is absolutely the core question that MUST be answered if we are pursuing optimum health and optimum weight. Nutrition is, by definition, the nourishment necessary for health and growth. My passion is to apply nutritional concepts that empower people to achieve optimum health. The reason and core method is simple. ... Continue
Metabolism: Does a Sluggish Metabolism Cause Weight Gain?
We hear the word “metabolism” frequently. And, if yours is “sluggish”, it likely impacts you daily. Although we have a general sense of what metabolism is and how it affects us, few people can accurately define it. Metabolism can be thought of as the body’s chemical processes that allow 3 crucial aspects of life to occur: Energy for body activity and body heat to stay ... Continue
Appetite Control: The Key to Managing Calories, Weight and Health
Appetite goes far beyond the stomach-growling ache we know as “hunger”... you know, the gnawing feeling when our stomach is “crying” for food. Appetite is actually any motivation or desire to put calorie-containing substances into our mouths. It is increasingly rare for us in the U.S. to be so “hungry” that our stomach is in pain. Since food is literally everywhere and readily ... Continue
Calories & Weight Control: 3 Keys to “Manage The 1%”
Calories (the measure of energy contained in food) are the ONLY source of power for humans. In fact, calories energize human metabolism and human function in all its glory. Whether building muscle and bone, thinking thoughts, growing hair, or fighting disease-causing viruses and bacteria, only calories can meet our energy needs. ... Continue
4 Truths for “Feeling Fabulous”
I value the real life experience of health (including feeling great!) as much or more than anyone I know. Although I think all would say they value health, some rarely take intentional steps to pursue it. Sure, they may take common prescriptions to treat disease symptoms, to lower blood pressure, to ease pain or discomfort or to adjust mood (or you may know some who simply ... Continue
“Early Death” and Why The Battle Is Personal
I miss my dad. He was a great man who, at the age of 82, died too early. He had a difficult childhood, to say the least, and that probably had something to do with it. Growing up during the Great Depression, Dad was forced to leave school after the 8th grade; he was needed at home to help provide for the family. His mom, a single mother, had several hungry mouths to feed. It ... Continue
Maximizing Our Memory: Part 3 – Memory and Aging
Brain Shrinkage with Aging and Associated Memory Loss Mental function, unfortunately, does deteriorate with age and is associated with the unpleasant reality of “brain shrinkage”. Brain scans confirm that the brain normally shrinks 0.5% per year. We now believe that the decline in mental function is a very long-term process, over at least 20-30 years. Maintaining a healthy ... Continue
Maximizing Our Memory: Part 2 – Nutrition
For some reason, the vast majority of people find that their memory ability could and should be better. And, this concern only becomes more common with age. Enhancing and protecting our memory ideally begins in our youth. We naturally achieve a peak ability to remember in early adulthood and then find that the inborn memory ability declines over time. Adults learn tricks to ... Continue
Maximizing Our Memory: Part 1 – Lifestyle
Maximizing Our Memory Our memory is truly one of our greatest assets. It’s crucial for every aspect of life: career, school, relationships (remembering names, faces, events, interests of others, etc), and everyday life all depend upon our ability to recall previous facts and bits of information. We then must know how to apply that information to solve a variety of problems ... Continue
Nutrition: A Key To Health
Far too many individuals end up with health (or lack thereof) as a life distraction instead of a resource for greater productivity. Does that really have to happen? And what impact is unnecessary disease having on the world around us as attention and resources are being devoted to recapturing lost health that should have never been lost in the first place? As a physician ... Continue
Memory Loss and Aging
Brain Shrinkage and “Cognitive Decline” Mental function, unfortunately, does deteriorate with age and is associated with the unpleasant reality of “brain shrinkage”. Known in research studies as “cognitive decline”, this process is now known to begin at least by age 45. In fact, research shows that reasoning ability declines 3.5% over the 10 years from our mid 40’s to mid ... Continue
