Archive for the ‘diet and nutrition’ Category

85 COVID Patients: Zero Hospitalizations & No Deaths

https://www.drbrownstein.com/85-chm-covid-patients:-zero-hospitalizations-and-no-deaths/

85 COVID Patients at The Center for Holistic Medicine: Zero Hospitalizations and No Deaths

Apr 09 2020

At my office, the Center for Holistic Medicine (CHM), we have had 85 COVID patients. At this time, no one has been hospitalized, no one has been diagnosed with pneumonia, and there have been no deaths.

There are five practitioners at CHM: Drs. Brownstein, Ng, Nusbaum, Jenny Drummond, PA, and Taylor Easson, NP. Since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, I have been asking my partners how their COVID patients are doing. As of this week, we have had 85 patients either diagnosed with COVID or suspected COVID.  I am pleased to report that our patients are doing well with this illness. (Note, since new guidelines have come out stating that any suspected COVID patient can be diagnosed with COVID, I am lumping COVID and suspected COIVD patients together for this post.)

I first reported to you about COVID on January 26, 2020. That was the first time I presented our protocol of using vitamins A, C, D, and iodine not only to support the immune system but also to treat viral infections. In that post, I also pointed out how important eating a healthy diet is.  The importance of using intravenous nutrient therapy, especially vitamin C, was mentioned. Finally, I suggested that, with coronavirus, it would be wise not to get a flu vaccine since the flu vaccine has been shown to significantly increase the risk of coronavirus and other flu-like viral infections.

That post seems like a lifetime ago even though it was only 10 weeks ago. During that time period, my message has not changed.  In fact, after witnessing the results our patients have experienced, I am more convinced than ever that a holistic approach like I presented above should be the first-line treatment provided to any COVID patient.

The human body is a true wonder. Given the proper support, it can do wonders. And, when the body is healthy, it can withstand and overcome an infectious illness like COVID.

The initial conventional approach to COVID was to encourage people to wash their hands (a good thing). As things worsened, the only other conventional idea was to quarantine. When the disease spun out of control our Government and conventional medicine panicked.   They had no real therapies to help COVID-suffering patients except for supportive care. Thankfully, a few conventional therapies, like hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, have been promoted—though many in conventional medicine were downplaying it for far too long.

At my office, we were ready.  The first 24 years of practicing holistic medicine was our time to figure out what worked and what did not work for people suffering from viral infections. That set us up to be ready for this pandemic.

In my blogs, I encouraged people to take high doses of vitamins A, C, D, and iodine at the first sign of an illness. In our practice, this was sufficient for the majority of our COVID patients. I (and my partners) have no doubt that the vast majority of COVID patients would avoid a deterioration of their symptoms if they started this protocol at the onset of symptoms.

However, some became more ill or did not start the oral supplements early enough into their illness. Those patients needed additional holistic therapies. These included nebulizing hydrogen peroxide and iodine along with intravenous nutrient therapies.

To protect our staff and healthy patients, we did not treat sick COVID patients inside my office. We were gowning up and meeting our patients at their automobile at the back of our building and administering IVs and ozone therapies. Some of these patients were very sick. So far, they all recovered. I have shared some of their stories via a skype interview on previous blog posts. To watch a few of our patient testimonials go to:

There Is Still Hope Out There (3/28/20): Christopher

There Is Still Hope Out There (3/30/20): Jeremiah

There Is Still Hope Out There (4/05/20): Kendra

I think the end is in sight. We seem to be crossing over the hump of this dreadful disease. I have no doubt we will be in a much better position over the coming two weeks.

Folks, I hope the Powers-That-Be learn from this catastrophe. In the future, we need to focus on supporting the host rather than conventional medicine’s focus on killing the infectious organism.  We do not have a vaccine or any other conventional therapy that is successful at destroying COVID. In the future, I can guarantee you there will be other infectious illnesses that conventional medicine has no treatment to offer.  Instead of waiting for the hail-Mary from conventional medicine, it is better to be prepared and have your body ready to fight back. This can be achieved by following my original instructions; eat a healthy diet, maintain optimal hydration, exercise, and correct nutrient imbalances with vitamin and mineral supplementation.

If you don’t have a holistic doctor, it is past time to find one. At my office, we are happy to see you or do a telemed appointment. If you are interested in this please email Ann Salomon at info@centerforholisticmedicine.com.

A holistic doctor can help you achieve your optimal health. Conventional doctors, on the other hand, are busy diagnosing pathology and prescribing the drug to treat that diagnosis. The problem with the conventional model is that the drug prescribed does not promote health as nearly all drugs poison enzymes and block receptors in the body.  There is a time and a place for drug therapies, but they are well over-prescribed in the US. The use of many drug therapies leaves the body depleted of vital nutrients that it will need when confronted with something like COVID.

As I previously stated, the Center for Holistic Medicine currently has 85 COVID patients who are all doing well and have not been hospitalized. There were some I was worried about—they kept me up at night. I called them daily to monitor their progress. Having them increase the frequency of nebulizing hydrogen peroxide and iodine helped them all. Some of the sickest were advised to nebulize every hour or two for a short period.  IV therapies and ozone treatments have helped many.

This therapy has worked for helping COVID patients. It is sad that hospitalized COVID patients are not given the proper nutritional support when they are admitted. In a perfect world, I would immediately start an IV of vitamin C and begin nebulizing any hospitalized COVID patient with hydrogen peroxide and iodine.   I am sure that would markedly lower the need for mechanical ventilation.

Final Thoughts:

Like most holistic therapies, the earlier they are started in a disease process the better they perform. AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A VIRAL ILLNESS I ENCOURAGE MY PATIENTS TO START MY VIRAL PROTOCOL OF TAKING VITAMINS A, C, D AND IODINE.   Due to the severity of COVID, I now recommend starting to nebulize hydrogen peroxide and iodine early into the illness as well.

Better times are coming. Keep me updated on how you are doing. I will much more to talk about in relation to COVID. More posts will be coming soon.

To All Our Health,

~DrB

 

Category:

Activism, diet and nutrition, Supplements, Treatment, vaccines

The Gut-Lyme Connection (And How to Fix Both Naturally)

https://www.uprootinglyme.com/gut-lyme-connection/

The Gut-Lyme Connection (and how to fix both naturally)

By

Creating gut health is one of the two foundational pillars of holistic Lyme treatment.  It goes hand in hand with detoxification, the other pillar of successful holistic treatment.  Without these two systems working at the highest level possible, recovering from Lyme (or other complex chronic) disease will be slow-going to say the least.

Yet together, when functioning optimally, these two systems create the conditions inside the body that empower it to fight off infections and heal.

Once these aspects of treatment are fully in place, you are far better equipped to handle antimicrobial regimens and successfully implement other aspects of treatment that will propel your healing forward.

The Gut is the Center of Health & Healing Power

In many ways, the gut is central to the health of the entire being.  In Lyme and other multi-infection disease syndromes, it is also a crucial battleground where the struggle between the Lyme and our immune system is fought.

Chronic Lyme is intimately related to the following 4 issues:

  1. Weakened immunity
  2. Diminished cellular function
  3. Systemic infection
  4. Toxicity

Gut health impacts all of these.  The degree to which a person’s gut is functioning optimally impacts all of these conditions either positively or negatively.

Gut-Associated Lymphoid Tissue

The gut houses the GALT, or Gut-Associated Lymphoid tissue which comprises approximately 80% of the immune system and 70% of lymphocytes, including those all-important Natural Killer cells, so it is home to our primary line of defense against infection.

This fact really speaks to how much the GI tract functions to keep harmful elements from entering into the body, and why it’s so devastating when these tissues are compromised.

What makes the difference between a quiet daily co-existence with bacteria, fungi, viruses and rogue cells – versus the explosion of full-blown disease – is your immune system, and by association, gut health.

Nutrient Transformation & Absorption

The gut is responsible for nutrient transformation and absorption so  that the entire body may receive nourishment and building blocks for physical strength, energy, cellular fuel, and tissue repair.

In the face of Lyme-Borreliosis and other infections, the body needs the support of high-level nutrition.  It needs to be able to effectively make use of what is being ingested so that the cells have the resources to function properly, clean house and repair.  This requires a healthy functioning gut!

The Gut is our 2nd (or 3rd) Brain

Following the heart and the brain, the gut is highly innervated by the nervous system.  It is compromised by a tense or inflamed nervous system, and strengthened by a peaceful, flowing nervous system.  The gut-brain axis is a 2-way street, therefore psychological or other nervous system stress has a major impact on GI function and motility.

Meanwhile, the microbiota and gut function heavily impacts mood and cognition because, to give just 1 of many examples, 95% of serotonin is produced in the gut.

The gut microbiome has systemic effects and is involved in regulation of the heart, liver, brain, prostate, kidney, lung, pancreas, and inflammation.  Changes in the gut microbiome have been implicated in diseases from obesity to infections to cancer.

Restoration of a healthy gut microbiome is another aspect of whole body health.

The Gut & Emotions

From the traditional Chinese perspective, the gut is the center of our personal universe.  It is governed by the Spleen (an organ readily damaged by Babesia and Bartonella), and directly relates to our ability to think, absorb nutrients, discern what we should let in versus what we should keep out (on all levels of our being), and our ability to create energy, among other things.

The gut is the seat of all feeling. It is where many aspects of being are interwoven – the microbiome, the digestive system, immune function, the nervous system, the emotional body and the mental body.

Poor Gut Health + Lyme Disease = Downward Spiral

The GI system can become an ongoing source of inflammation, perpetual dysbiosis, and weakness that extends out to all other parts and systems of the body.

It is very common among modern people that the GI tract is a place of stagnation, fermentation, bacterial overgrowth, and becomes an enormous source of toxicity and inflammation.

Add a diet that contributes further to inflammation (high carb, high sugar and/or high in inflammatory fats), and it’s easy to see how the disease-causing bacteria quickly gain an upper hand within our bodies.

Ultimately we can see that the gut is both a major source of – and a foremost solution for – inflammation in tick-borne disease. 

Furthermore, the gut is a dynamic organ – it can be damaged and it can be healed!

5-Part Plan to Heal GI Weakness & Heal Chronic Lyme

  •  Utilize supplements to restore gut functionality & ease symptoms. 

Digestive symptoms are uncomfortable and potentially embarrassing at best, and completely debilitating at worst.  Bloating, gas or constipation, can make one’s entire being feel blocked and sluggish. Chronic diarrhea can inhibit a person’s ability to leave home or attend meetings without concern that they will have an accident if they can’t get to the bathroom in a hurry.  Nausea, vomiting, and stomach pains can make eating a good diet virtually impossible.

There are some good natural stop-gap measures for GI symptoms such as betaine HCl, pancreatic enzymes, bile salts, and soothing herbs that serve to both support proper functioning and alleviate symptoms until the deeper causes of dysfunction are fully dealth with.

  • Move stagnant food and waste matter.  

Stagnation of food, waste, mucus and gas inside the GI tract is very common, and it is what creates an ideal breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria.  Food and waste stagnation leads to lots of uncomfortable symptoms and the progression of GI diseases.

Clearing stagnation also allows gut healing treatments to work better, so you don’t want to skip this step.  Examples of ways to do this include regular colonics or enemas, the use of herbal laxatives, laxative foods, supplements such as magnesium, and consuming less solid food overall.

  • Address malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies.

When your digestive system is weak, you don’t digest and break down your food well.  This leads to mal-absorption of nutrients, which in turn leads to a weakening of the entire body, including the vital and sense organs, the muscles and joints, immune system, hormones, and all the tissues and cells. The body can’t operate properly without the enzymes, nutrients, and building blocks that it has to acquire from food.

Addressing know nutrient deficiencies with supplementation is important, as is juicing and utilizing superfoods in your diet in easy to absorb forms (think liquid food!) to help replace what is lacking.

  • Eliminate all food allergens and sensitivities.

When your food is not fully digested and broken down in the small intestine or if it is triggering an immune response,  proteins from undigested food can pass into the colon and cause irritation and inflammation. This irritation and inflammation can cause pain, spasm, mucus in the stool, and diarrhea.  Over time this compromises the delicate lining of the small and large intestine, which is only 1 cell thick.

As the gut membrane is compromised and breaks open in places, toxic waste and other inflammatory particles can seep into the bloodstream and massively increase the level of inflammation in the body. This is why the gut can be a major source of inflammation that accelerates degeneration and disease processes including Lyme, and also increases pain levels throughout the body.

In order to heal gut problems + Lyme disease, it is very important to eliminate all allergenic foods, at least until the final stages of healing when some foods can be re-introduced and improved tolerance and digestibility is likely.

  •  Eliminate infections and correct dysbiosis.  

This is about both getting the microbiome back into a healthy proportion where the health-promoting and neutral bacteria are dominant over the potentially pathogenic microbes.

We start with treating active infections that are wreaking havoc in the gut and system as a whole, such as yeast, parasites, Lyme, CMV and more.

These protocols need to be targeted to the specific organisms that are known or suspected to be plaguing the body.  We utilize a multi-pronged anti-microbial approach that includes herbs such as Chinese scutellaria, olive leaf and black walnut hull; liposomal essential oils such as oregano, clove and fennel, and biofilm-busters to eradicate these infections.

For more:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/16/the-root-of-autoimmune-disease-can-be-found-in-the-gut/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/28/what-are-the-pros-of-probiotics/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/12/26/settle-your-stomach-with-digestive-health-supplements/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/04/04/the-importance-of-gut-health-to-healing-from-chronic-illnesses-podcast-dr-jill-carnahan/

Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Lyme, Supplements, Treatment

Latest Look at Lyme – Dr. Waters

latest look at Lyme july 2018Paper Here

Written by Dr. Robert Waters, https://www.watersbiomed.com

1416593336

Waters’ 8 pronged approach to treating Lyme/MSIDS:  https://www.watersbiomed.com/integrative-approach-to-lyme-disease.html  All of which are discussed in the paper above.

He also discusses typical deficiencies patients have and the importance of supplementation to boost the body’s ability to fight for itself.

For Doctor Waters’ presentation:  https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2015/04/18/dr-waters-presentation/

You can also watch videos, read published papers, and read newsletter on various topics.

Category:

diet and nutrition, Gut Health, Herbs, Inflammation, Lyme, research, Treatment

Is the Mediterranean Diet the Best Diet on the Planet?

Is the Mediterranean Diet the Best Diet on the Planet?

© [Jan. 28th 2020] GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here //www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

The Mediterranean Diet has been rated as the healthiest diet on the planet three years in a row, and as the meals are simple to prepare and truly delicious, it has also been ranked as the easiest diet to follow long term

The diet itself is based upon the eating habits of people living around the Mediterranean Sea: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, and Turkey, as well as middle eastern and northern African countries.

What these cuisines have in common is the consumption of fresh, seasonal, whole foods featuring vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, herbs and spices; the predominate use of extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, margarine, or vegetable oils; moderate amounts of seafood and poultry; and the moderate consumption of red wine. What the Mediterranean diet specifically has avoided is processed foods, sugar, sweeteners, and artificial flavors. Red meats are rarely on the menu or are used sparingly to flavor a dish.

Overall, a Mediterranean eating plan is extremely versatile. You can follow a vegetarian version very easily. You can skip breakfast and include partial intermittent fasting and benefit from ketosis several mornings per week. And as I’ll expand upon shortly, you can also limit the glycemic load (sugar-load) to enhance blood sugar control and weight loss.

For 2020, The US News and World Report rated the Mediterranean diet as:

  • The best diet overall
  • The best diabetes diet
  • The best diet for healthy eating
  • The best plant-based diet
  • The easiest diet to follow

It won similar awards in 2018 and 2019. These honors should not be too surprising, as Mediterranean countries have some of the longest life spans on the planet and they have lower rates of heart disease, diabetes, memory loss, cancer, and obesity than nearly all other western countries. The people of Spain, who follow the Mediterranean diet perhaps the closest, have the longest lifespan and the best health of any country in the Western world, and are anticipated to surpass Japan for longest lived country on the planet by 2030.

Considering all these benefits, I felt compelled to write a book, The Mediterranean Method, to help promote this eating plan and to make it simple to follow. The research included reading nearly 1,000 scientific journal articles, plus, my wife Nicole and I bought a sailboat in Europe with the goal to evaluate the food, lifestyle, and health habits of people living on the Mediterranean Sea. We spent 10 months sailing from Spain to Turkey during the spring and summers of 2018 and 2019. We followed the coastline along Spain, France, Corsica, western Italy, across to Greece and through the Cyclade Islands, and on to Turkey. We visited small ports, food markets, mom and pop family run restaurants, and searched for regional recipes that were easy to prepare, delicious, and healthy. What was amazing was how inexpensive and delicious the food was. And how opinionated locals were about how to prepare a dish within each region. Whether one worked in a food market, at a gas station, or drove a taxi, everyone cared about what ingredients went into local dishes and how they were prepared.

Let’s look more closely at the top three health benefits from following a Mediterranean Diet:

  • Better Weight Control
  • Reverse and Prevent Heart Disease
  • Improve Cognitive Function and Prevent Memory Loss

Better Weight Control

In 2016, Dr. Joseph Mancini and his colleagues evaluated five randomized weight-loss trials with more than 1,000 subjects on various dietary regimens including low-fat, low-carb, and Mediterranean. These subjects were followed for at least 12 months, a meaningful length of time given most people lose weight in the short term and regain it later. The research found that the Mediterranean Diet was more effective than the low-fat diet, and equally as effective as a low-carb diet over the long-term. What’s more, they concluded that those following the Mediterranean Diet not only lost weight, but they had the best improvements in lipid and metabolic profile. The typical weight loss ranged from 10 to 22 pounds lost throughout the 12-months.

Preventing Heart Disease

Heart disease remains the #1 killer for men and women, even though studies have shown we can prevent 90 percent of heart disease with the right lifestyle changes–our biggest challenge is finding a diet and lifestyle that people are willing to follow long-term.

In 2003, the Greek EPIC trial showed that the closer subjects followed a Mediterranean eating plan, the lower their rate of cardiovascular events. Subsequent studies have shown that the closer people living outside the Mediterranean follow this same diet, the less heart disease and longer life they enjoy.

Then in 2018, the large-scale landmark PREDIMED study with over 7,000 subjects published in The New England Journal of Medicine affirmed the cardiovascular-fighting reputation of the Mediterranean Diet; those who followed a Mediterranean diet and added extra nuts or olive oil had 30% fewer events than those following a low-fat diet.

Data published from my own clinic has shown that in patients who follow a low-glycemic version of a Mediterranean diet, the average person shrinks their artery plaque load over time (measured with carotid ultrasound testing), and amazingly, hundreds of our patients had more than a 10% regression in their arterial plaque load over an average of 2-3 years.

Enhancing Cognition and Preventing Memory Loss

The most expensive disease in the U.S. and most western countries is dementia; recent estimates are that the total bill to treat it exceeds $278 billion per year. More startling is that the rates of memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease are predicted to double over the next 15 years.

Yet, just as we can prevent most cases or heart disease, there is now growing evidence that we can also prevent dementia and cognitive decline with the right lifestyle changes. PREDIMED researchers tracked the impact on cognition of the dietary interventions over 6.5 years on over 500 participants and controlled for multiple lifestyle and health factors. Those randomized to a low-fat diet had lower overall cognitive scores and more progression to dementia than those in the Mediterranean diet group.

Many other studies have also shown cognitive improvement and/or reduced cognitive impairment with following a Mediterranean diet, including the FINGER trial, Three-City study in France, the Chicago Health and Aging Project (CHAP), and in a group of more than 1,200 Puerto Rican adults living in the U.S.

Data published from my own clinic confirmed that the closer a person follows these dietary recommendations, the better their brain processing speed and cognitive scores, results which have continued over 12 years of follow up.

Myths Regarding a Mediterranean Diet

Despite the many health benefits of this eating plan, and the delicious food it provides, there are several misunderstandings that threaten to eliminate these benefits. Let’s clarify several right now, dealing with the top six myths.

MYTH #1. YOU CAN EAT ALL THE HEALTHY FOOD YOU WANT

There’s no need to put a hard limit on daily servings of vegetables (you won’t overdo it because you’ll naturally fill up on fiber), but it is possible, for instance, to overeat walnuts or almond butter, or use too much olive oil, particularly if you’re dipping pieces of bread into it.

MYTH #2. EATING MEDITERRANEAN MEANS EATING PASTA, BREAD AND PIZZA

You can easily overdo the portion size, even with whole grains. When you see grains and cereals on the Mediterranean diet, this doesn’t mean a giant platter of pasta, unlimited bread (even if it’s organic and whole grain), or bowls of rice (even if it’s brown rice). It’s important to control your portions of grains and cereals, and as you’ll read in a moment, of all the food components listed in the Mediterranean diet, whole grains provide the least health benefit.

Further, when you grind a grain into flour, such as bread, that processed grain has a much higher glycemic load (sugar load) than the same amount of whole grain. If we want healthy blood sugar control, we all need to limit or avoid even whole grain products that are processed into flour—such as bread, crackers, cake, and pancakes.

MYTH #3. EATING SEAFOOD ON OCCASION WILL BENEFIT YOUR HEART

Eating fish merely a few times a month won’t yield the disease-fighting benefits of the Mediterranean diet, particularly for the heart and brain. Because of the benefits from consuming long chain omega-3 fats that are found only in seafood, aim to eat seafood at least twice a week–preferably three to five times per week. Seafood includes fish, shellfish, and seaweed.

If you are vegetarian, or avoid fish and shellfish for other reasons, plan to either eat seaweed several times per week, as in a cup portion of seaweed salad, or take a seaweed DHA supplement daily.

MYTH #4. ALL CHEESES (AND YOGURTS) ARE CREATED EQUAL

Treating pasteurized cheese as a go-to food–compared, for example, with raw, probiotic-rich and vitamin K2-loaded camembert–is a mistake. The same goes for yogurt and kefir. Many of my patients are shocked when I explain that fruit-flavored yogurt has more sugar than ice cream. As with so many components of the Mediterranean diet, when choosing your foods, simple and unsweetened is best.

If you avoid dairy products, you still need some source of probiotic food source, which can easily be obtained by using coconut yogurt sources, and other pickled foods, such as sauerkraut, olives, capers, and Asian foods such as miso and kombucha.

MYTH #5. YOU CAN SKIP THE BEANS

Don’t miss out on this fiber-packed superfood that is one of the best foods for controlling blood sugar, and it’s the #1 all-time top food for blocking disease-causing oxidation. They are also loaded with fiber, protein, B vitamins, and calcium. In Mediterranean cuisine, beans are the healthy foundation for countless meals and are used often as a side dish as well.

However, 10% of people appear to be lectin intolerant–they develop major gastrointestinal symptoms when they consume beans. The process of soaking (so called sprouting) appears to help, but if you have a lectin intolerance, just like any food intolerance, then avoid beans.

MYTH #6. YOU CAN USE EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL FOR ALL YOUR COOKING NEEDS

Don’t use extra-virgin olive oil for high-heat cooking, or even medium-high heat. Once it reaches 400ºF–its smoke point, the maximum temperature it can reach before it breaks down and becomes a damaged fat–extra-virgin olive oil starts losing nutritional value, not to mention its complex and delicate flavors. For medium-high heat cooking, use avocado and/or almond oil) instead.

Save flavorful extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling over foods, making dressings, and for low or medium heat cooking.

Adapting the Mediterranean Diet to the 21st Century

Despite all these clear health benefits, there are some limitations related to the Mediterranean diet that should be applied to living in the 21st century.

First, the original Mediterranean diet was followed by farmers, fisherman, and herders–men and women who were physically active for 6 to 10 hours per day. Very few can achieve this much movement today. We therefore need to modify an eating plan with a lower glycemic load to match our activity level.

Second, studies that have evaluated the Mediterranean diet have also assessed what components of the traditional eating plan had the most and least health benefit. Results from the EPIC trial showed that consuming vegetables, fruit, beans, nuts, and olive oil provided the greatest benefit, and eating whole grains provided the least–likely related to their glycemic load.

A more recent study, The EPIC Greek Cohort study, published in 2012, analyzed adherence to a Mediterranean Diet, and glycemic load intake. It concluded that those who adhered to a Mediterranean Diet and had the lowest glycemic load intake had the best health benefits of all. And if the subjects were overweight, the benefits of following a low-glycemic load version of a Mediterranean Diet were even greater.

This low-glycemic version has the added advantage of appealing to many people who have already shifted towards a low-carb and/or Paleo eating plan, and switching from a low-carb to a Mediterranean diet will usually increase their nutrient dramatically.

Beyond Food

Though there are many proven benefits to following a low-glycemic version of a Mediterranean diet, the health benefits of the Mediterranean lifestyle are not solely limited to food intake. Mediterranean people are more active than we are in the U.S., they spend more time walking and cycling to work and for daily shopping, and they spend more time outdoors and with nature.

How they eat is important as well. They enjoy long, leisurely meals typically with friends and family, which fosters close social connections, which is likely related to the fact that they have lower rates of anxiety and depression than are found in the U.S.

Summary

Let me share my version of the food and lifestyle pyramid of a low-glycemic Mediterranean diet, adapted from my book, The Mediterranean Method.

The pyramid’s foundation is the lifestyle, which features activity, social interaction, cooking, and mindful-leisurely eating.

Foods and beverages that are consumed daily include vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, olive oil, herbs and spices, yogurt, dark chocolate, and water, with moderate intake of red wine and coffee or tea. Seafood, poultry, eggs, and other probiotic-rich dairy products are on the menu several times a week, although a vegetarian or vegan version without animal protein is very feasible. Whole grains are also an option, although served in small portions (and gluten free as needed).

Unlike many diets that are popular today, notice that almost no real foods are completely banned–for a special occasion, you can still enjoy special treats that fit the affair–the key is that you limit them to a special event, and that you eat real, unprocessed food.

The Mediterranean Diet is not just a short-term eating plan. It has been followed for centuries, generation after generation, tested in numerous long-term clinical studies, and been found to be the best diet on the planet for long term adherence and for healthy eating. The food is delicious, generally simple and easy to prepare, and the ingredients can be found at your local grocery store. This is an eating plan that truly combines proven health benefits with delicious food–no other diet can embrace the saying as well–To Your Health & Bon Appétit!

Steven Masley MD, FAHA, FACN, CNS is a physician, nutritionist, author, and a trained chef. He is a fellow with the American Heart Association and the American College of Nutrition, plus he is an Affiliate Clinical Associate Professor at the University of South Florida. He has written seven books and his latest is The Mediterranean Method. You can follow him on his blog (at www.DrMasley.com) and/or see his posts on Facebook (@StevenMasley)

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of GreenMedInfo or its staff.
___________________
Excerpt:  

MedDiet interventions improve endothelial function in adults, suggesting that the protective effects of the MedDiet are evident at early stages of the atherosclerotic process with important implications for the early prevention of CVD. This study has the PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018106188.

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/08/15/whats-the-best-diet-for-lyme-disease-dr-rawls/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/06/26/fibromyalgia-diet-what-to-eat-what-to-avoid/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/05/15/overview-of-anti-inflammatory-diets/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2018/04/18/comparative-diets-to-address-chronic-inflammation/

https://madisonarealymesupportgroup.com/2019/01/08/wahls-protocol-impact-of-diet-nutrition-in-ms-other-neurological-diseases/

 

 

 

 

Category:

diet and nutrition

Coffee Can’t Repair Your DNA, But it Does Do Something Potentially Even Better

https://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/coffee-cant-repair-your-dna-but-it-does-do-something-potentially-even-better.html

Coffee Can’t Repair Your DNA, but It Does Do Something Potentially Even Better

The health benefits of drinking coffee never seem to end.

Measured by how much people spend on it, coffee is the most popular beverage in the world. In America, the amount of coffee consumed each day is greater than the combined total amount of teas, juices, and soft drinks.

Coffee, however, isn’t a guilty pleasure; it’s a superfood that reduces your risk of serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, dementia, and Parkinson’s, as well as a host of minor afflications, including constipation and premature ejaculation.

Most important of all, it’s now clear that coffee drinkers are less likely to get cancer than people who drink other beverages, including tea….  (See link for article)

Category:

diet and nutrition