Most people have heard that protein is important, but fewer understand what protein actually does in the body. Even fewer realize that getting enough protein is not always the same as getting the right kinds of protein. This distinction becomes especially important as we get older. Whether your goal is maintaining muscle, recovering from illness, […]
Over the last five newsletters, I have covered many different aspects of our physiology that directly affect how we think and feel. Much of this impact comes from the effect various physiological processes have on our production and regulation of the neurotransmitters in our brain. This week we are focusing in on ground zero for mental […]
This story begins back in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe. A wonderful new food from the Americas, corn, was brought back to Europe and widely cultivated. It seemed like an excellent food source as it yielded much larger crops per acre than wheat or barley. The problem was that after a while people started […]
Last weekend I went to a nutrition class focused on how to address nutritional causes of mental health issues. It was excellent. It took a lot of the knowledge I already had and extended it in ways I had not thought of before. Simple little strategies that anyone can do at home can make […]
I have had several patients come in recently concerned about their cholesterol levels being high. The cholesterol bogeyman has raised its head again in these Covid virus times since the biggest co-factor that contributes to poor outcomes with a bout of Covid is metabolic syndrome, and high cholesterol is often part of the metabolic […]
Cholesterol is one of the bogymen of the modern medical delivery system. Be careful or the cholesterol bogyman will get you has been the favorite chant for the last 50 years. Interestingly, as the hard science is busy proving that eating cholesterol has nothing to do with plaque formations in your arteries, the American Heart Association […]
Ninety percent of adults in North America consume caffeine daily. It is the most widely used psychoactive substance in the world. Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant found in over 60 different South American and Asian plants, but we are most familiar with just three sources: coffee, tea, and to a small extent, chocolate. […]