I overheard a revealing father to son comment while eating breakfast out recently. I couldn’t help but hear the family of 3 at the table next to me. Both parents were overweight by 40+ pounds, as was the 20 year old son. The mother was discussing that she was only on one medication. “I am so thankful” she said. The son replied, “Yes, but I don’t take any medicine.” The ... Continue
Popular Post: “Early Death” and Why The Battle is Personal
Periodically, we repost our most popular articles for new readers and for review. 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 ... Continue
Multivitamins, Minerals and Optimum Health… Why I Still Take Mine
I found myself scratching my head this week at the following news headline: “Multivitamin researchers say ‘case is closed’ after studies find no health benefits.” Talk about throwing the baby out with the bathwater! The powerful statement was obviously intended to discourage us from using nutritional supplements as part of our personal nutrition plan. After hearing the ... Continue
Overcome Fatigue: 5 Strategies for Creating Energy
Fatigue is truly epidemic! Almost without exception, when I interview patients, it becomes apparent that energy levels are just not what they should be. The onset of the fatigue has typically been subtle, and it has then worsened over time. I’ve observed that fatigue has become a new epidemic, while it was relatively uncommon 30 years ago. What has changed? And what can we do ... Continue
22 Surprising “Side Effects” of Weight Loss…
You may not have thought about it, but weight loss has some amazing “side effects”. We all know that medications have side effects, some of them life threatening. And that is true of common prescriptions for common conditions. Since we typically associated “side effects” with prescription medications, let’s consider some common current examples: ... Continue
Vitamin C: Nutrition “Hero”
Fatigue, easy bruising, dental problems, joint pain, bleeding gums, and even death were common among British sailors in the 1700’s. The symptoms were easily prevented, however, by eating lemons and limes. The sailors, later called “Limeys”, were suffering from vitamin C deficiency, later known as scurvy. ... Continue
Coconut Oil: Tropical Treasure for Health
“Eating fat is bad for you.” “Saturated fat causes heart attacks.” “Oils are bad for you, avoid them like the plague.” Likely you’ve heard these statements from well-meaning people, perhaps even from physicians. I say... “Not so fast....” The latest research has some surprising news regarding fats and oils, and many medical “hard facts” are being thrown out as a result. The ... Continue
Weight Loss Success: Why Meal Replacements?
For the first time in history, our world has more overweight people than underweight! Diseases of calorie excess, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and many cancers are skyrocketing. As a result, many of us will not live as long as our parents. Simply put, our food is just not working for us! And with any of the above conditions, regaining health can be ... Continue
Olive Oil: Lubricant for Life!
Olive oil... You’ve heard that it is really good for you, but how? And does it make that much of a health difference? Does it need to be a certain type? Isn’t olive oil just a fancy type of fat and to be avoided? These are just some of the questions I’ve received regarding olive oil. This article is written to bring clarity on the confusion. And, you need to know why olive oil ... Continue
Why “Fad” Diets Failed My Patients… Strategize for Success!
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
