I grew up with all the right messages. “Brush your teeth”, “Eat your vegetables”, “Don’t drink too much”, “Avoid cigarettes”, “Get a good night’s sleep.”
You probably heard those same things too. But the real lessons didn’t come from what was said. They came from what I saw – late nights, heavy drinking, chain smoking, meals built around meat, salt, and starch.
All the “healthy choices” were spoken about like distant ideals — good advice for someone, somewhere, but never part of the life we actually lived.
And the message I absorbed? That health was for perfectionists. That choosing a healthy lifestyle meant trading fun for a longer, less enjoyable life. The rest of us? We’d enjoy the ride and deal with the consequences later.
This mindset is still everywhere. Skip the salad. Go big on the steak. Trade workouts for exhaustion. Stay up late — because you earned it. Brush your teeth once — close enough.
But what if we got that trade-off wrong? What if living a healthier life isn’t about restriction… but about discovering a better version of life you haven’t met yet?
Let’s start looking at why our country is really struggling with health and how we can change course in our own lives…
Newly Affordable Technology Helps You Make Positive Health Improvements!
Insulin resistance and chronically elevated blood glucose are gateways to numerous disease pathways, including cardiovascular disease—the leading cause of death in the USA. The current standard approach to managing elevated blood glucose levels primarily relies on medications such as metformin and insulin. While these medications address the immediate threat to your health, they often fail to target the root cause of the problem.
Typically, your doctor will advise you to eat healthily, exercise, and lose weight, while prescribing medication to manage your acute condition. Follow-up appointments are scheduled to monitor progress. However, without additional tools or insights, this acute management approach often evolves into a chronic treatment protocol. The root cause of the dysfunction remains unresolved, leaving you to address it on your own without sufficient guidance, strategies, or support.
At Better for Life Functional Medicine Center, I recommend lifestyle modifications to ALL patients that directly tackle the underlying root causes of insulin resistance. Chronically elevated glucose levels are linked to obesity, heart disease, inflammation, arthritis, and more. Fortunately, advancements in continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology now make it easier than ever to understand your body’s unique relationship with blood glucose, exercise, stress, and diet.
With a CGM device and a free smartphone app, you can monitor your glucose levels in real time. This technology allows you to see how your body responds to choices related to rest, activity, food, stress, sleep, and other lifestyle factors. By observing the immediate impact of your decisions, you’ll gain actionable insights into what works best for your health.
Armed with this personalized understanding, you’ll have the confidence to make informed decisions, knowing they positively affect your health. This feedback loop enhances motivation and increases your likelihood of achieving long-term health improvements.
Ready to take control of your health? Call us today at (916) 741-2041 to schedule a consultation for more information on how to access this groundbreaking technology!
You have no doubt been clobbered with the huge advertising budget of this new class of weight loss drugs including Ozempic, Wegovy, etc. These are brand names for the generic Semaglutide, which is a GLP-1 agonist.
What is GLP-1 and What does it do?
What is GLP-1 and what is an agonist? GLP stands for Glucagon-like Peptide and an agonist is something that preserves GLP from being cleared from the system, making it last longer.
GLP-1 is produced in your gut and serves to signal your brain receptors that you are satisfied, that you are not hungry. GLP-1 is a hormone, and you can think of its action as similar to that of birth control pills that keep your body convinced it is pregnant already. In the case of GLP-1, it makes you think you are full, as though you have just eaten.
The other effects are to slow down emptying of the stomach and movement through the digestive tract making you feel full longer and to help with blood sugar control by reducing the short term spike seen after a meal. This is why it was originally developed to treat Type II diabetes.
How Effective is Semaglutide?
First, let’s look at the history of medical approaches to weight loss…
At least 25 different drugs have been prescribed to treat obesity between 1964 and 1969, and then were withdrawn due to adverse drug reactions including life threatening conditions like heart valve problems, cancer, and the like. From amphetamines to diuretics, these drugs have popped up and then got pulled after sometimes catastrophic effects including heart attacks, colon and pancreatic cancer, suicidal ideation, etc.
Before GLP-1 agonist drugs, these weight loss drugs only resulted in a weight loss of about 3% in exchange for loss of bowel control, depression and other side effects. So, if you were 300 lbs, taking these drugs could get you down to about 290lbs. Really? And all I have to do is wear a diaper?
Now, with earlier GLP-1 agonists, you could expect to get down by 6% or to about 280 lbs. But with the newer Semaglutide drugs, you can expect about 11 – 20%, resulting in a weight reduction to 240lbs. Incidentally, this is similar to the weight reduction expected from a bariatric surgical procedure.
So should you try it?
Let’s look at the pros and cons…
Benefits:
Addresses the devastating effects of obesity, if only partially (cancer, cardiovascular disease, etc)
An alternative to surgical treatment options
Produce as much as 3 times as much weight loss as all prvious historical weight loss drugs, most of which were removed form the market for adverse effects.
Adverse Effects of Semaglutides:
Weight loss stalls on these drugs, even though the drug injections have to continue to maintain any benefit.
Even those using the drugs only go from obese, to less obese & medicated. And if the medication is stopped, the weight comes right back
Most (80% of those getting fully paid-for treatment) people stopped taking the drug within 2 months of starting it, due to short term gastrointestinal side effects effects including nausea, vomiting, etc.
Potential for bowel obstruction and other more serious and more rare adverse effects (thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, etc.)
What is the alternative?
Well, to be frank, the alternative is to eat less crap. Consider the findings in recent years of the benefit of eating a plant-based diet of unprocessed foods with all of the antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and FIBER that comes naturally from real food. This triggers the release of natural GLP-1 without the side effects.
If you were to make your own plant-based unprocessed foods, without the excessive sugars and fats and salt that food product manufacturers put in there to artificially impair your satiety signals, most people coudl eat ad libitum (ie. as much as you want) and still lose weight!
And if you think you will be missing out, think again. It has never been easier to go to a plant-based diet AND the recipes you will find online for plant-based foods are absolutely DELICIOUS! And if you think you will be deficient in nutrition, you should understand that you will get everything you need, including protein, without eating meat and you will help your grocery budget, help the planet, and lower your medical bills into the future. The only thing you would need to supplement is Vitamin B-12 since that only comes from animals and organisms found in dirt.
And to finish off this topic, the greatest thing about a natural approach is that you will FEEL BETTER, LOOK BETTER, and LIVE BETTER! Because the natural approach is Better for Life! Ah-HA!
People often ask me about protein intake on a plant-based diet. Let me share some key insights that might surprise you.
Understanding Protein and Longevity
The first crucial point is about protein’s impact on longevity. Protein intake affects insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), a hormone produced in the liver. Interestingly, higher levels of IGF-1 correlate with shorter lifespans. This means that simply switching to a plant-based diet isn’t enough—you also need to avoid excessive protein supplementation.
The Role of IGF-1
IGF-1 isn’t all bad. It plays a vital role in stimulating growth and repair of bone and muscle. During recovery from illness, injury, or surgery, increased protein intake can be beneficial. For most people, a diverse plant-based diet provides enough protein without protein supplements.
Muscle Building Myths
Contrary to popular belief, extra protein doesn’t guarantee muscle growth. Studies show that:
For most age groups, increased protein intake does not increase lean body mass
Only about 5% of studied individuals saw a slight increase in lean mass
An increase this small may be even represent water retention or liver inflammation
How Much Protein Do You Really Need?
Protein requirements vary based on activity level:
Sedentary individuals: 0.36-0.5 grams per pound of body weight
Moderately active people: 0.5-0.8 grams per pound
Intense exercisers: Higher ranges apply
Example: A 170-pound moderate exerciser needs about 128 grams of protein daily—easily achievable through plant-based foods.
My Personal Protein Sources – As a vegan and gluten-free individual, I obtain protein from:
Whole grains: Brown rice, quinoa, oats
Nuts and seeds: Sunflower, pumpkin, chia, walnuts, almonds
Legumes: Chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, white beans
Soy products: Tofu, tempeh
Key Takeaways
My goal isn’t to convert you to a specific diet. Rather I hope this this will help you understand that:
More protein isn’t always better
Plant-based proteins are just as good as animal proteins
Balanced, mindful eating is crucial for any diet
I’m happy to answer questions or guide you to learn more.
It is summer! Around Rocklin, CA, it has been very hot for quite a while with many days well over 100F. This is a good time for us all to make sure we are drinking enough water. And, it’s important to replace the essential minerals that act as electrolytes in our body that you are sweating out. Electrolytes are critical for regulating heartbeat, blood pressure, fluid balance, and muscle contractions.
Dehydration contributes to the loss of mental focus, short term memory, and can lead to depression and/or afternoon fatigue. Dehydration also affects your ability to get quality restful sleep. In severe cases, dehydration will cause hallucinations and can even increase your risk of stroke. If you have an elderly loved one, keep an eye on their water intake. If you notice they are “slipping” a little, mentally, remember the water. It is easy for them to forget about water intake if they aren’t very active.
During bathroom breaks, sweating, breathing, etc., all of us lose a LOT of water. When we replace only the water, electrolyte minerals quickly get washed out. High fruits and veggie diets provide 20% of our water replenish our electrolytes from the food we eat. Mineral including sodium, potassium and magnesium. If you aren’t “eating healthy”, be sure you to keep up with your electrolytes with a good multivitamin/mineral supplement.
On top of eating well, plan on drinking about 64 ounces. That is 8 cups, 2 quarts or 1/2 gallon) of water every day. And don’t forget to play in it, as well! That is good for you too!
Raw garlic retains the highest levels of the beneficial component, called allicin and alters gene expression increasing anti-cancer immunity within hours. Roasting retains the next most allicin with boiling, simmering and stir-frying each leading to substantial decreases in this magic constituent.
Thanks to Dr. Michael Gregor of NutritionFacts.org
Dr. Gregor points out the benefit of consuming calories in the morning vs. later in the day or evening. I share this mostly in consideration of improving overall blood sugar management and preserving our precious insulin sensitivity:
Morning meals contribute to bulking up muscle glycogen reserves, requiring additional energy for the assembly and disassembly of glucose molecules into glycogen. This process may make morning meals less efficient in terms of calorie utilization.
Muscles are more sensitive to insulin in the morning, efficiently pulling blood sugar to build glycogen reserves. In the evening, muscles become relatively insulin-resistant, leading to higher blood sugar and insulin spikes, potentially contributing to weight gain and poorer blood sugar control.
When NASA first published its “Clean Air Study” in 1989, it recommended the use of several indoor plants to remove toxic agents from the air.
Sick building syndrome and plants
Sick building syndrome (SBS) is a term used to describe a group of symptoms that people experience when spending time in a building, such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, and difficulty concentrating. These symptoms usually get worse the longer you’re in the building and get better after you leave. Other people in the building may also have symptoms.
The theory is that the person is reacting to toxic agents in the atmosphere. As a result, NASA recommends placing one toxic agent-filtering plant for every 100 square feet of home or office space in order to keep air quality at its utmost finest.
What Are These Toxic Agents (Pollutants) & Why Are They Dangerous?
Environmental Pollutants, Physical Risks and Where These Can Be Found
The Following 9 Indoor Plants Have Been Found To Improve Your Home’s Air Quality
1. Peace lilies – Peace lilies are effective at removing all five of the toxic agents from indoor air, as mentioned on NASA’s list.
2. Hardy garden mum – These colorful perennials is the only other plant on the NASA study found to be effective at removing all five toxic agents.
3. Bamboo palm – Bamboo palms only filter two out of NASA’s five identified toxic agents, both formaldehyde and xylene.
4. Snake plant – The snake plant is quite effective at converting carbon dioxide to oxygen and are effective at removing four out of the five toxic agents, only missing out on ammonia.
5. Devil’s ivy – Devil’s ivy is great at purifying your air. They have been found to be effective at removing: Benzene, formaldehyde and xylene.
6. Boston fern – The good old Boston fern is a popular houseplant, as it is safe for dogs and cats. This fern is effective at reducing levels of formaldehyde and xylene.
7. Aloe vera – In addition to being great for your skin, aloe vera can filter out benzene and formaldehyde.
8. Red-edged dracaena – Referred to as “the song of India,” this plant has been found to be effective at filtering benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene and xylene.
9. Chinese evergreen – This plant native to tropical areas of Asia will filter out benzene and formaldehyde.
Unfortunately, Peace Lilies, Hardy Garden Mum, Snake plants, Devil’s ivy, Aloe Vera, Red-edged dracaena and Chinese evergreen are toxic to dogs and cats. They are not recommended for homes with pets
NASA recommends one plant every 100 square feet – which is about 9.2 square meters. In a home of about 1800 square feet in size (roughly 167 square meters), NASA recommends 15-18 houseplants. However, the exact number depends on what plants you opt for – you’ll need fewer plants if they are larger and more efficient at reducing toxins.
Incorporating more plants in the home, not only has an impact on our physical and mental health, but they look great too.
** Always consult with a physician or healthcare practitioner with significant integrative or functional medicine training before starting any of the above recommendations. You can find a qualified and certified functional medicine practitioner by going to: www.FunctionalMedicineDoctors.com
The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. We encourage you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.
AGEs are Powerful Contributing Factors to Many Diseases
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP
High levels of Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) have been linked to inflammation, oxidative stress, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease, renal (kidney) failure, premature aging and metabolic health.
One study examined a group of 559 older women and found those with the highest blood levels of AGEs were almost twice as likely to die from heart disease than those with the lowest levels.
High levels of inflammation over a long period can damage every organ in the body.
What are AGEs?
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are harmful compounds that are formed when protein or fat combine with sugar in the bloodstream.
If we are unable to clear the sugar out of the blood stream, the sugar molecules combine to proteins and create AGEs.
Diet is the biggest contributor of AGEs.
Foods highest in AGEs include meat (especially red meat), certain cheeses, fried eggs, butter, cream cheese, margarine, mayonnaise and oils. Fried foods and highly processed products also contain high levels.
Of significance, even if your diet appears to be reasonably healthy, you may consume an unhealthy amount of harmful AGEs just because of the way your food is cooked.
Foods that have been exposed to high temperatures and dry heat, such as during barbecuing, grilling, roasting, baking, frying, sautéing, broiling, searing, and toasting, tend to be very high in AGEs.
These cooking methods may make food taste, smell, and look good, but they may raise your intake of AGEs to potentially harmful levels.
In fact, dry heat may increase the amount of AGEs by 10–100 times the levels of uncooked foods.
Diseases Associated with Advanced Glycation End Products
Unfortunately, when you consume too many AGEs your body can’t keep up with eliminating them and they accumulate playing havoc on your health and well-being increasing the risk of many diseases.
Many health professionals are calling for AGE levels to become a marker of overall health.
Testing for AGEs
Measuring Fructosamine and Hemoglobin A1c tests can assist in the early identification of dysglycemia as well as advanced glycation end products.
The fructosamine test is a measurement of glycated protein, mainly albumin (the main protein in the blood).
The hemoglobin A1c test is a well known tool for following long-term glucose control in patients with diabetes. However, the same blood test also helps identify age-accelerating glycation reactions in the body.
Monitoring hemoglobin A1c levels is essential for all adults who wish to identify excess glycation processes in their bodies and take measures to control and minimize glycation-induced damage.
Although the standard normal reference is below 5.7, to inhibit and reverse AGEs the optimal goal is <5.0
How to Get Rid of Advanced Glycation End Products
Fortunately, your body has mechanisms to eliminate these harmful compounds. The good news is that your body can fight AGEs through antioxidant and enzymatic activities. The problem is that when you are eating too many foods that create AGEs, your body won’t be able to keep up with it and AGEsend up accumulating in your body.
2: Animal-derived foods that are high in fat and protein are generally AGE-rich and prone to new AGE formation during cooking.
In contrast vegetables and fruits contain relatively few AGEs, even after cooking.
3: Cook Smart: AGEs are significantly reduced by cooking with moist heat such as poaching, steaming, stewing, and boiling. Using shorter cooking times, cooking at lower temperatures, and by use of acidic ingredients such as lemon juice or vinegar limits AGE generation.
4: Exercise regularly.
The Following Graphic and Below Details Provide Additional Nutritional Steps to Reduce AGEs
Polyphenols Polyphenols, found in fruits, vegetables and other plant-derived food have many beneficial biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and have the ability to inhibit the formation of AGEs. Approximately 200–300 mg of polyphenols are found in every 100 g of fresh fruit.
Spices and herbs, as good sources of polyphenols, could be strong inhibitors of advanced glycation end-product (AGE) formation. Research has shown cinnamon, cloves, and allspice to be good glycation inhibitor.
Polysaccharides
Foods high in polysaccharides include: sweet potatoes, green beans, winter squash, cassava, chickpeas, zucchini, hearts of palm, pears, oatmeal, lentils, green beans, oranges, beans, bananas and asparagus. These foods have been found to inhibit and reverse AGEs.
It has been identified the natural polysaccharides compound berberine as a potent AGEs inhibitor that significantly suppressed AGEs formation as well as improving glucose and lipid metabolism.
Terpenoids Hawthorn, bitter melon, oat, green tea have many biological activities, including antihyperglycemic, antioxidant, anti-atherosclerotic and anti-inflammatory activities as well as decreasing AGEs. The most studied of these compounds to date are oleanolic acid (OA) associated with the Mediterranean Diet. The most important sources of oleanolic acid in human diet are olives. Other medicinal plants containing oleanolic acids are seaweeds, apples, figs, and cranberries. OA at 500 µg/ml has been shown to almost completely inhibit the AGE formation.
Vitamins-Antiglycation Nutrients Vitamin C (ascorbic acid), vitamin E (α-tocopherol), thiamine and pyridoxamine are excellent antioxidants. Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin widely found in fruits and vegetables. Ascorbic acid can compete with glucose for binding to proteins, reducing AGE production.
Vitamin E is a lipid-soluble vitamin found mainly in fruits, vegetables and nuts. Studies have shown that vitamin E has a good inhibitory effect on aging and glycation. It can resist lipid peroxidation, prevent the glycation of hemoglobin, and inhibit the formation of AGEs.
Studies have shown that benfotiamine can prevent glycation, and human studies have shown that it can help prevent the damage caused by glycation.
Pyridoxal 5′-phosphate is an active form of vitamin B6, like benfotiamine has the dual benefit of helping prevent glycation as well as its harmful effects.
Alkaloids Alkaloids are a class of naturally occurring compounds that are produced by many plants, especially nightshade vegetables. Peppers, coffee, tea leaves, tomatoes, black pepper and tonic water. (did you know that that taste is the result of the alkaloid quinine?). Alkaloids exert protective effects against advanced glycation end products.
Peptides Carnosine is a dipeptide naturally produced in the body; it is highly concentrated in brain and muscle tissue. Carnosine is a potent free-radical scavenger and anti-glycating agent that inhibits AGE formation and its cross-linked proteins, helping to keep them functioning properly.
Animal and human studies suggest that limiting dietary AGEs helps reduce levels of inflammation and oxidative stress protecting against many diseases and premature aging.
Several animal studies have shown that eating a low-AGE diet results in a lower risk of heart and kidney disease, increased insulin sensitivity, and lower levels of AGEs in blood and tissues by up to 53%.
** Always consult with a physician or healthcare practitioner with significant integrative or functional medicine training before starting any of the above recommendations.
There is a new update to the FMCSA exam guidelines! There were several changes, but one that affects many drivers is the OSA guidance changes.
The new guidance makes it EASIER to certify drivers newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The change indicates that if a driver is issued a shortened certification to allow for OSA evaluation and the driver’s evaluation results in diagnosis with OSA, the first 1 year certification can be issued with documentation of only 30 days of therapy! This is a big improvement, avoiding multiple repeat exams since, in most cases, the limited evaluation certification period of 90 days easily allows time for testing and establishing treatment compliance. And the guidance even allows for a one-time 30 day re-certification, if needed due to a delay in starting treatment.
On the other hand, drivers already under CPAP therapy for OSA need to document treatment compliance for their ENTIRE PREVIOUS CERTIFICATION TERM or they will need to re-establish compliance, which will require multiple re-exams before getting back on a 1 year cycle. This reflects a tighter compliance requirement than I was previously aware of. So be sure to use your CPAP as recommended and bring a report covering the previous 12 months to your certification exam to avoid “decision pending” or shortened certification results.
Alcohol consumption as it relates to the impact on heart disease and cancer has been a hot topic for many years. Many people want to believe that the consumption of red wine is protective and for some even therapeutic for cardiovascular disease. Unfortunately strong peer reviewed studies show the contrary. In fact the evidence is so overwhelming that even a small amount of alcohol is outright dangerous!
Many misinformed people have thought the consumption of alcohol (red wine for some) increased HDL-C, had vasodilatory properties and anti-platelet activity (it thins your blood). For some die hard recreational alcohol consumers the mention of red wine brings dreams of beneficial antioxidants like resveratrol and vitamin E. Well, it turns out none of those things are true.
Many of the studies cited by proponents of limited alcohol consumption were subject to selection bias. Unfortunately for lovers of recreational alcohol the current and most rigorous research show the total opposite to be true. More and more powerful studies now show that even small amounts of alcohol can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease like coronary artery disease, heart failure, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, fatty liver, and aneurysms.
A meta-analysis published in 2018 in The Lancet (The Lancet publishes the best science from the best scientists worldwide, providing an unparalleled global reach and impact on health) looked at 599,912 drinkers with over 5.4 million person years of follow up. They found that all-cause mortality increased at 100g per week of alcohol.
Alcohol intake was also with a higher risk of stroke, coronary disease, heart failure, fatal hypertensive disease, and fatal aortic aneurysm. Those who reported consuming more than 100g/week and up to 350g/week had a shorter life expectancy by age 40, by 6 months and up to 5 years for those who consumed the most.
Now for those who claim they consume minimal amounts of alcohol the news is not good. A study published in March of 2023 found that people who drank 25 to 44 g per day of alcohol had a small risk of all-cause mortality. The risk became more significant for those who drank 45 to 64 g or more per day. There were larger risk for mortality among female drinkers compared to female lifelong nondrinkers. The World Heart Federation examined all the data and studies on CVD and alcohol consumption and determined that no amount was safe in terms of cardiovascular disease, cancer risk, and other causes of mortality. Good summary in the below reference on alcohol by World Heart Federation alone is pure gold.
The World Heart Federation unites the diverse cardiovascular community to bring cardiovascular health to the forefront of the global health agenda – a global community of heart foundations, scientific societies and patient organizations, united in our mission to achieve heart health for everyone.
If you want to optimize your heart and brain health, avoid alcohol or keep it to the bare minimum.
Alcohol Consumption and Cancer
There is a strong scientific evidence that alcohol drinking can cause several types of cancer. The US Department of Health and Human Services lists consumption of alcoholic beverages as a known human carcinogen. The evidence shows that the more alcohol a person drinks the higher his or her risk of developing an alcohol-associated cancer. Even those who have no more than one drink per day have a modestly increased risk of some cancers. Based on data from 2009, an estimated 3.5% of cancer deaths in the United States (about 19,500 deaths) were alcohol related.
The following are the most researched between alcohol consumption and the development of the following types of cancer:
Head and neck cancer
Esophageal cancer
Liver cancer: Heavy alcohol consumption is associated with approximately 2-fold increased risks of two types of liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma)
Breast cancer: Pooled data from 118 individual studies indicates that light drinkers have a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, compared with nondrinkers.
Colorectal cancer: Moderate to heavy alcohol consumption is associated with 1.2- to 1.5-fold increased risks of cancers of the colon and rectum compared with no alcohol consumption
In addition to the above alcohol related cancers evidence is accumulating that alcohol consumption is associated with increased risks of melanoma and of prostate and pancreatic cancers. A strong peer reviewed study that included data from more than 1,000 alcohol studies and data sources, as well as death and disability records from 195 countries and territories from 1990 to 2016, concluded that the optimal number of drinks to consume per day to minimize the overall risk to health is zero.
** Always consult with a physician or healthcare practitioner with significant integrative or functional medicine training before starting any of the above recommendations.
The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University’s Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com.
Re-posting information from a blog post by Dr. Michael Greger, MD at his non-profit website, NutritionFacts.org.
“When we don’t eat enough carbohydrates, our body is forced to burn more fat, which can be misconstrued as increasing the rate of net fat-mass reduction. However, on a keto diet, our fat intake also increases.
The “carbohydrate–insulin model of obesity,” a theory put forth by low-carb advocates, suggests that decreased insulin secretion (whether from a keto diet or a less intense form of carb restriction) would lead to less fat storage such that even if more fat were consumed, less would stick to your frame.
The Nutrition Science Initiative (NuSI) was formed by Gary Taubes, author of the controversial “What If It’s All Been a Big Fat Lie?” article arguing in favor of the Atkins diet. In response, some of the researchers Taubes cited to support his thesis accused him of misrepresenting their words and being “incredibly misleading.” NuSI got $40 million in funding to sponsor research to validate the carbohydrate–insulin model that more body fat could be lost on a keto diet. In fact, the researchers found that body fat loss slowed on a ketogenic diet.
If looking only at the numbers on a scale, a keto diet would seem to be effective. More pounds were lost on a keto diet compared to a typical diet, but the rate of body fat loss slowed by more than half and most of the loss was water weight. It’s thought that less fat is burned on a keto diet because, without the preferred fuel of carbs, the body starts burning more of its own protein, so a keto diet causes less fat mass loss and more fat-free mass loss—i.e., loss of more lean mass. The leg muscles of CrossFit trainees on a keto diet shrunk in thickness by 8 percent, for instance. The study participants began burning more fat on the keto diet, but they were eating so much more fat that they ended up retaining more fat in their bodies, despite the lower insulin levels, which is “diametrically opposite” to what the keto crowd predicted.
In light of this, the Nutrition Science Initiative effectively collapsed, but, according to tax returns, not before Taubes and his co-founder personally pocketed millions of dollars.”
This was from a blog post authored by Dr. Michael Gregor.
This is often the message referring to halitosis (aka “bad breath”) and its relationship to poor dental hygiene. While valid, this post is actually about relationship between dental care and the leading cause of death in the United States – Heart Disease.
You may have heard that tooth infections, left untreated, do more than hurt your mouth and jaw… that they can result in infections that compromise heart valves and contribute to heart attacks and strokes! But it has been established that if you aren’t regularly brushing and flossing, you are asking for heart disease EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE PERIODONTAL DISEASE OR TOOTH ACHES/INFECTIONS!
According to a recent study published in August 2024 in the journal Circulation, there is an “association of a gut microbiota composition characterized by increased abundance of Streptococcus spp and other species commonly found in the oral cavity with coronary atherosclerosis and systemic inflammation markers….”
Translated: Streptococcus anginosus, Streptococcus oralis and Streptococcus mutans do more than just make for ugly teeth and bad breath. When these bacteria are allowed to flourish in the mouth, 1) they mess up the balance with “good” bacteria and when the immune system kicks in to battle them, they escape into the blood stream to colonize our arteries and 2) they trigger low-grade systemic inflammation that contributes to artery plaques in the heart and throughout the body.
These plaques inhibit the normal function of the lining of the arteries, and they eventually impede the flow and set the stage for pieces to dislodge causing strokes and heart attacks!!!
Keep these bugs at bay by doing what your momma taught you… :
Brush your teeth at least twice a day,
Floss at least once a day,
Pay particular attention to the back molars (just because they are the hardest to reach and most likely to get neglected),
Consider a WaterPik style jet flosser, and
Get regular dental checkups and cleanings.
No go thank your Momma and give her a hug and a kiss.
I welcome the opportunity to help you with any areas where you need help, but the one change that I believe will have the most profound impact on your health is your diet. This is because, directly or indirectly, improving your diet will improve just about all other concerns. What I would like you to consider is changing how you eat. I would like you to switch to a whole food plant-based diet (the acronym for this mouthful is WFPB). No, not permanently!!! Just for a short time. Consider it a 3 month experiment. Just try it for a short time and I believe that you will feel at least 80% better, no matter what your current condition is. And then you will be informed. You will know what it took. You will know what it felt like. You will know how easy or hard it was (it’s not hard). You will know how expensive it is (it actually costs a LOT less). And you will know EXACTLY what the trade-offs were.
And then you can choose to go back to what you were doing before. Easy Peasy. No harm, no foul. Limiting your commitment to 3 months is psychologically easier than “changing forever”. You can do this and you really will be better for it, even if you decide it’s not for you in the long run.
But, please don’t think you can do this without learning a little first. Don’t just start eliminating foods willy nilly or you will risk failing. Learn a little so you can be successful at it for 3 months. Just 3 months! That is all I’m asking. There really isn’t any good reason not to try it.
If I have convinced you, or even if you are not convinced yet, but just curious… start with a video by Dr. Michael Gregor, MD of his presentation called “How Not To Die”. You can go to it by clicking the link below the picture (if your copy of this is digital) or you can find it on YouTube.com by searching for “How Not To Die Dr. Michael Greger, MD ”. Pretty catchy title, yes? You will know you are seeing the video you want when you scroll down the search results and see this preview picture:
Side note: I picked this video because it is NOT a propaganda video.
Yes, the animal meat industry has severe climate impacts but this video does not include Jane Goodall and doesn’t even mention it.
Yes, the animal meat industry treats livestock horrifically, but this video has no PETA contributors and doesn’t even broach the subject.
Yes, the worldwide fishing industry is decimating the oceans but that is not in this video.
This video is really just about what a WFPB diet will do to help you get and stay healthy. If nothing else, you will better understand what your vegetarian and vegan and WFPB friends are doing and why.
If you are not convinced yet, please watch this shorter video by Dr. Neal Barnard, MD. Search on YouTube.com for “Why Go Vegan? Barnard”. Yes, another “why” video, but it is helpful to get another perspective and explanation and Dr. Barnard really has invested a lot of energy into helping you with free tools and information for beginners on the “how” part of this experiment including the first link in the additional resources listed below. The video you are looking for has a preview image that looks like this:
If you have doubts about the ability to get the nutrition you need to perform at a high level, you do not need to worry. In fact, I think that you will find this next video fascinating. It is available with a Netflix subscription or an Amazon Prime subscription (among others), but if you don’t have access via subscription, click on the cover image below to view this YouTube link to a great synopsis with the added benefit of an authoritative assessment of the program’s strengths and weaknesses. :
Game Changers Review on YouTube
Finally, here are some resources for you that will make things easier:
https://forksoverknives.com has a lot of recipes, a meal planner subscription service which is cool, and a lot of other great information.
https://tedshealthclub.com is a site created by a friend of mine who is not a health practitioner but who experienced his own life-changing transformation and, in the process, he gained an amazing library of practical advice and “how-to” knowledge. He has a wonderful way of communicating that does not go over people’s heads or come off as “too teach-y”.
A deficiency of vitamin B-12 (aka Cobalmin) is very serious and causes severe health conditions that masquerade as any of a multitude of psychological, neurological, gastrointestinal, immmune related (and many many other organ system) abnormalities. From coma to psychosis, from bleeding tongue to skin lesions from head to toe, from tingling and numbness in your hands to loss of muscular control. Vitamin B-12 is absolutely vital.
If you never, or rarely eat animal products AND you are not supplementing with Vitamin B-12… it is just a matter of when, not if, you will develop symptoms of B-12 deficiency. This vitamin is not produced by humans or animals, for that matter. Instead, it is produced by microbes and we would have picked it up in ages past from water, or incompletely washed food.
If you are vegetarian but eat eggs and dairy, you should be aware that 50% of ovo/lacto vegetarians who don’t supplement with B-12 are still deficient. In fact, among those that don’t supplement, studies have shown low B-12 levels in roughly 1/3 of the meat eaters!
So, bottom line – B-12 is CHEAP but CRITICAL! Follow the formula…
CHEAP + CRITICAL = REQUIRED
Don’t be a dummy. Supplement B-12 regardless of your diet.
Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs)—like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis—affect millions of people around the world. They cause lasting structural damage—such as inflammation, ulcers, and sores—to your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.
Until now no one could really pinpoint exact causes behind IBDs.
However a new study made an eye-opening discovery: Some very commonplace and “colorful” foods may actually TRIGGER these debilitating diseases.
For this study, researchers fed lab mice a normal diet—or a diet that included something called Allura Red AC (FD&C Red 40 or E129) for 12 weeks.
To the researchers’ surprise the Red Dye caused new inflammation in their GI tracts. It also disrupted the gut barrier. It even increased serotonin production in the gut, which, in turn, increases susceptibility to IBDs. In fact, the researchers said there’s enough evidence to suggest Allura Red AC may “trigger” IBD in otherwise healthy subjects!
These results offer a serious warning about the potential dangers of food dyes in our diet. Perhaps worst of all is the fact that we’ve known about the problems with Allura Red FC for almost 50 years! And one of the most long-standing concerns involves its effect on behavior in children—which is why many countries in Europe (including France, Germany, and Switzerland) banned it years ago.Avoiding these “colorful” foods could be instrumental in aiding patients suffering with IBD.
How to Know If Red Dye 40 Is in Food
It would be hard to determine if restaurant food contains the red dye. But on packaged food, the FDA requires food manufacturers to list ingredients, including color additives. Look for the following on packaging labels:
Red 40
Red 40 Lake
FD&C Red No. 40
Food Red 17
Allura Red AC
As you might have guessed, Allura Red AC is one of the most widely used food dyes in the world. You commonly find it in breakfast cereals, soft drinks, dairy products, candies, and even vitamins!
Now, since you’ll find Allura Red FC in countless products in the United States, it’s up to YOU to keep it out of your diet.
Author: Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP
The information in this post is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Grisanti and his functional medicine community. Dr. Grisanti encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Visit www.FunctionalMedicineUniversity.com for more information on our training in functional medicine. Look for practitioners who have successfully completed the Functional Medicine University’s Certification Program (CFMP) www.functionalmedicinedoctors.com. This content may be copied in full, with copyright, contact, creation and information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not-for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Dr. Grisanti is required
I am a chiropractor and I perform physical examinations every day.
I am also a member of the National Registry of Certified Medical Examiners and so I perform commercial driver physical exams so I can complete Medical Examination Report forms (form MCSA-5875) and Medical Examiner’s Certificate forms (MCSA-5876) to allow a driver to get or maintain a commercial driving license or endorsement.
I keep getting questions about whether I can do a sports physical or an FAA Pilot physical exam or if I can complete a Physicians Health Report for a non-commercial driver because the DMV requires it. The answer is generally no, for varying reasons:
The FAA does not allow chiropractors to perform physical exams at this time.
Non-commercial driver physicals do not need to be performed by an NRCME examiner and are supposed to be performed by a primary care physician who has an established doctor-patient relationship with the driver or who is accepting the driver for such a relationship going forward.
Similarly, qualification to perform a physical sport should also be determined by a primary care doctor. I will do this for an established patient, but I generally do not offer this as a service to the general public.
