Hello everyone: The good news is that Spring is here and it is always a great time for renewal and upgrading of healthy habits. One ‘habit’ that we should all ditch are artificial sweeteners, and this includes Stevia. Here are the highlights for the problems associated with consumption of artificial sweeteners: · Weight gain · Intestinal inflammation · Alteration of the gut microbiome (in a bad way) · Imbalanced immune functions: increases inflammation & decreases defense · Causes or contributes to significant increased cancer risk · Increases cravings for sweet/bad carb consumption · Alters hormonal functions, such as insulin Bottom Line: There does not appear to be any upside to using artificial sweeteners, so simply avoid them. Do not replace them by consuming more ‘natural’ sweeteners like fructose, or table sugar ... Read more
Archives for March 2022
Covid-19 & Health Update: Sleep, Immunity, and the Pandemic
Hello everyone: Sleep is an important topic for all of us during these stressful times at home and abroad. This is really an enormously important issue for most of us. The first link below shows how a lack of quality sleep ignites the fight or flight response in us all night and why this can be very detrimental to your health. The second link shows how sleep is critically related to immune function. Here are some quotes: “Sleep and the circadian system are strong regulators of immunological processes. The basis of this influence is a bidirectional communication between the central nervous and immune system which is mediated by shared signals (neurotransmitters, hormones, and cytokines) and direct innervations of the immune system by the autonomic nervous system (vagus nerve). Many immune functions display prominent rhythms in synchrony with the regular 24-h ... Read more
Covid-19 & Health Update: Fiber, Gut and Brain Immune Connection
Hello everyone: A new study has revealed that a diet with higher fiber intake, and one that has a lot of soluble fiber, is now linked to a lower incidence of disabling dementia…25% lower risk which is very consequential. How does that work? It turns out than higher fiber feeds the gut bacteria which then positively enhances brain neuroplasticity and brain function. For example: our gut bacteria convert some fibers into short chain fatty acids (butyrate, acetate and proprionate) which not only mend our gut lining (reduce leaky gut) but also downregulate inflammation via immune mechanisms as well as assist with the creation of BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) to enhance brain function, maintenance, and development. Please note that this new information supports previous blogs about how to reduce inflammation and upregulate/balance the immune system via a plant-based ... Read more
Covid-19 & Health Update: FAQs about Alcohol Consumption
Hello everyone: I get this question a lot: can I still drink some wine or alcohol while on this food plan to reduce inflammation, heal my gut, detox my body etc.? The short answer is…no. For some this is hard to hear, so I pulled together some links to share with you that you can check out for yourself…but research is now showing that literally no amount of alcohol is beneficial. Anyone who reads my blogs knows that inflammation causes, perpetuates, or aggravates ALL human ailments…every single one including immune suppression (not a good thing to have in a pandemic), aging, dementia, fatigue, fogginess, cancer, depression, anxiety, allergies, gut problems, stress, nutrient deficiencies, insomnia, arthritis, digestion problems, and especially leaky gut…etc., etc. It turns out that alcohol consumption, even the amount in only ½ of a beer will induce health damaging inflammation. ... Read more
