15 delicious foods to boost detox power

Quick factoid: While we all have a natural ability to break down and eliminate toxic chemicals and metals, those systems were designed to eliminate by-products of our daily activities—not overloaded by “better living through chemistry and technology”. Our liver, kidneys, and digestive tract are supposed to balance hormones (activate/inactivate as needed), neutralize cell waste products, balance electrolytes, and keep us energized all day long. But instead… Overloaded by environmental pollution, anti-food, medications, stressful lifestyles… our body can’t keep up! We quickly go out of balance, the accumulation of toxic substances creates chronic inflammation. Months and years later, we feel the … Continue reading

RAGE about AGE: The cancer connection

Cancer cells with RAGE

Back in the day of being a bench scientist studying how cells work, how a single fertilized cell eventually becomes skin, eye, muscle, adipose… how our bodies routinely detect and destroy improperly formed cells, and even clean out those that die when their time is up to make way for new, healthy tissue; back then never a day went by without a remarkable new finding at a deeply biochemical/molecular level. Sadly, so much of that fascinating work can only be understood by those of us who speak the language of science and molecular biology. Yet, their are times when an important … Continue reading

Simple tips to make healthy eating fun

toxic chemicals and accumulated waste prevent weight loss

Americans eat less than 70 percent of their meals at home, and less than a third of families eat meals together more than twice a week. Restaurant food and take-out meals are notorious for cheap ingredients made up in flavor with added sugar, unhealthy fats, and iodized salt. More than half of Americans’ calories come from “ultra-processed foods,” according to a new study published in BMJ Open. “Formulations of several ingredients which, besides salt, sugar, oils, and fats, include food substances not used in culinary preparations, in particular, flavors, colors, sweeteners, emulsifiers and other additives used to imitate sensorial qualities … Continue reading

Gah! Menopausal spread. (Shhhh… it happens to guys too)

solve obesity, weight loss, hormone imbalance

Isn’t working out five times a week enough to avoid weight gain? And what is setting off that midnight (and morning, and after lunch, and before dinner… ) heat? Susan hadn’t changed her calories—or her workouts—since graduating college. But there it was: that pudge, bulge, and mid-section ten starting in her late 40’s. Why? Anne just wouldn’t lose weight no matter how hard she tried. After learning that midsection fat is the most likely to be associated with chronic inflammation and other health problems, she was ready to change and tried every diet—but her weight wasn’t. Why? Hormones out of whack … Continue reading

My 6 favorite pro-health and weight-loss hormones

Hormone (from Greek ὁρμή, “impetus”) n. a signaling molecule produced by glands and transported by the circulatory system to distant organs where they regulate physiology and behaviour. Thousands upon thousands of complex processes going on in your body are regulated by many dozens (and counting) of little proteins or modified cholesterol molecules called hormones. Which, ones are made at what time and in what amounts are regulated by what your body perceives it needs. Hormones influence everything from energy levels, sleep, digestion, fat-burning, fat-storing, sugar handling, hunger… to bone building, inflammation and ability to heal… and more. Hormones can coordinate their … Continue reading

Nature’s superfood seeds: Will the fiber you’re getting really help?

Since nature has created so many nutritious and healthful food for us to consume, I’ve honestly no idea why we can buy only so few things in our grocery stores with the rest being factory made junk. Well, maybe I do. If every farmer grew varied crops for our year-round enjoyment there wouldn’t be Wall street corn, soy, wheat and sugar futures markets. And farms would be small and community—not big corporate conglomerates with stock prices to support. And their marketing wouldn’t be so effective as to restructure our thinking with “treats” that are “tricks.” Our understanding of fiber has, … Continue reading

Solving Chronic Inflammation

Meet the modern inflammatory diet. We are fatter and sicker—and extremely unhappy about being fatter and sicker—than ever before in history. Except, of course, anyone who has tried to actually do something about their health but given up—moving into the “nothing can be done about it” band. The studies are clear: where “modern” processed foods become the standard diet, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases of inflammation follow. When we abandon our traditional nourishing foods in favor of processed groceries high in sugar, processed grains, vegetable oils, and additives, we get sick. Of the top ten … Continue reading

Weight loss and the hCG diet

HCG Diet Products are Illegal

Four years ago my client who I’ll call Shane explained his frustration. He’d tried everything and was considering the hCG diet—priced at the time at $300 per week of participation, 4-6 weeks. He said it could be bought locally and self-administered… More than just a skeptic, by then I’d helped many individuals “recover” from this diet, individuals whose health declined, weight returned and now had new health problems. That said, just because I attract a group for whom a regimen doesn’t work doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad—we’re all different—but there sure have been a lot of folks… I kept my … Continue reading

Keeping inflammation in check: Your ubiquitous ubiquitin system

Are Alzheimer’s, weight gain and obesity, cancer, diabetes and heart disease all the same health problem? I think so. And so do many other researchers today. What they all have in common is excess inflammation in the body. And any time some really interesting new piece of the inflammatory puzzle hits the science headlines, pharmaceutical and biotech companies start promoting how they’ll develop novel anti-inflammatory drugs to block these natural proteins to finally solve the problem of unquenchable pain and inflammation. And one such amazing piece of the inflammatory puzzle—amazing to molecular biology or biochemistry nerds like me—just put together some pieces not before known. For 20 … Continue reading

Can you out-run a fattening diet? Weight loss theory de-mythed.

health-based food pyramid

Something rare came across my desk today, a readable yet scientifically accurate weight loss truth, finally! The truth about exercise and weight loss—or at least a place to start. Weight loss myths I’ve known: In 2007 the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine recommended 30 minutes of moderately strenuous exercise five days a week “to maintain and promote health.” But there was very little data supporting the idea that those who exercise more gain less weight. The USDA urges us to get 90 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise almost every day “to maintain weight”. There’s no … Continue reading

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