Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

Body

Now this makes me happy!

I recently got an email from one of my fabulous compliant patients.  She had an ALCAT test done to check for food sensitivities about 4 months ago and this is the testimonial/update that she has graciously allowed me to share with you.  I love when patients take responsibility for their health and really get better!!!

 

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” I have continued faithfully on my new way of eating and still feel great! I have less pain, fewer to no headaches, little to no inflammation, more energy, more mental clarity, and while I don’t believe I’ve lost any additional weight, I certainly haven’t gained any…and that is without regular exercise. 🙂

Here’s how I believe I’ve been able to be successful at staying on the plan:

– The ALCAT test proved most helpful, because I think it could take a lifetime of trial and error to figure out foods that may be hurting. The list of low, moderate, and high intolerant and list of acceptable foods are wonderful guidelines for eating in a way that helps rather than hurts. When people ask me about this, they invariably want to know what I’m no longer eating, but I must reiterate to them, that the test is the ONLY way to know for sure if a food/additive is bothering them. This highly customized view of things keeps me away from FAD/TREND diets or food systems that are based on points, counting calories, portions, etc. I think this is difficult for people to grasp, but eating foods off MY acceptable list and either abstaining or keeping to a minimum the intolerant foods helps me feel better; feel satiated, and therefore, I don’t worry about calorie counting or portions.

– When I started eating differently, I kept a journal. I think I wrote down about everything I put in my mouth for 120 days. This helped keep me on target especially with trying to eat five times during the day. I still struggle with that, but because I’ve changed the WAY I eat, I no longer worry about over-eating or consuming empty non-nutritional foods when I do feel really hungry.

– My family, friends, and co-workers have been super supportive. I’m surprised by how some of my family members will actually ask what I can eat so they are sure to have something for me when inviting me over for a meal. They’re all used to me making menu substitutions now, too, and I don’t get crazy with it. For example, yesterday I went to Applebees after church. I ordered grilled chicken with onions and mushrooms, but it also came with veggies (carrots, broccoli and squash) over red potatoes (which are a no no for me). I asked to leave off the potatoes, so they gave me extra veggies instead. YUM! I do the same thing with salads.

– And finally, realizing that I wake up more easily, have less pain, and don’t miss those cyclical headaches keeps me on track. I do NOT want to go back to feeling so terrible all the time. I’ve had a couple of headaches since being on the plan, but they have been much less severe and do not last long. I used to get headaches that lasted for days and were just brutal. I still have some pain in my hands each morning, but it’s possible that’s from years of typing/using computers. I don’t have near the pain throughout my body as I used to, and I don’t have the “heavy” feeling anymore. That one’s difficult to explain, but sometimes I just felt heavy, and I was getting depressed about it. I feel much lighter these days, literally and figuratively. :)”

food allergy

Thanks girl!!!  Love it and keep up the good work!  Thanks for sharing as you are an inspiration to other patients.  Please contact me or Michelle 317-217-2626 if you are interested in ordering an ALCAT test for yourself —there is more information on the ALCAT page of the blog.425352_10150688992766282_2072045193_n

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Do I have to buy organic? The Dirty Dozen

Sure, we would all love to buy everything we eat organic and process free, but who can afford that in today’s economic times.  I struggle with the issue of spending so much on food especially if it isn’t all eaten before it goes bad.   If you are buying veggies on a budget, try to go organic for the Dirty Dozen foods.  These top 12 are known to be grown with the most pesticides.  The rest you can probably get by not buying organic.  Regardless, any fruit or vegetable (organic or not) is still better than that McDonald’s cheeseburger so don’t spend too much time worrying!

Peach

Apple

Bell Pepper

Celery

Nectarine

Strawberries

Cherries

Kale

Lettuce

Grapes

Carrot

Pear

Posted on by Angela in Diet, disease, Green Living, Nutrition, Organic, vegan, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Veganville!

Fellow struggle bus victims—-

The daylight savings time change and the dreary weather has led to a slow Monday for me.  I am guessing that many of you are feeling the mullygrubs as well.  I’m sick of waiting for winter to finally break allowing those bright spring undertones to freshen our moods!  In effort to keep things lighthearted today–I have to share my man crush Justin Timberlake’s performance on Saturday Night Live this weekend.  Love it!

However, I felt compelled to share this real life testimonial with you all for anyone who watched the inspiring Dr. Terry Wahl’s TED talk last week.  The more research I do, the more patient testimonials I find.  This 7 minute video is by a young gal with relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis.  She shares her progress on her blog and in this you tube video.  Eat those veggies!  And bring it on down to VEGANVILLE!

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Dee knows what to eat

Here’s another great post from Dee!!
As promised, here is an expanded narrative on focusing on what you can eat, instead of what you can’t. Let me start with an example of how one’s day goes on a diet. Let’s say there was a family gathering over the weekend and your neighbor’s half-eaten chocolate cheesecake was leftover in your fridge. You go to work on Monday with your cooler of veggies and mid-morning you start saying to yourself “I won’t eat that cheesecake, I won’t eat that cheesecake, I won’t eat that cheesecake.” After a nice, lunch of spinach salad and berries you start to think of your evening plans and again recite your directive of “I won’t eat that cheesecake…and on, and on. Guess what happens when you walk into your kitchen that night! You have practically brainwashed yourself on NEEDING to eat that cheesecake because it has been incessantly imprinted on your brain all day.

Right now, in order to gain better health, I have decided to not eat sugar, flour, potatoes, rice, pasta, fried food, fast food, high-fat food. That said, I cannot eat some of my favorite happy foods: Buffalo wings, pizza, egg rolls, baked Brie, loaded potato skins. (See where the need to change eating habits came from?)

Sounds like there’s nothing left to eat if I take away all of my favorite comfort foods. But let’s be honest. For the short list of what has to go away as I adjust to some better choices, here are some great things that I can eat: eggs, oatmeal, yogurt, pineapple, bananas, strawberries, oranges, kiwi, apples, blueberries, grapes, pomegranate, pecans, almonds, cashews, wheat tortillas, wheat pita, salsa, hot sauce, marinara sauce, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, eggplant, zucchini, cucumbers, tuna, turkey, chicken, salmon, ginger, tilapia, shrimp, lobster, filet Mignon.

True story: yesterday I had nothing planned for dinner and started thinking that maybe my kids would like a pizza because when Mama diets the whole family diets. That pizza notion turned into thinking maybe I would make a homemade flatbread pizza with turkey pepperoni. Then I thought maybe a turkey burger instead, no wait, a black bean burger on a bed of lettuce and tomato. By the time I pulled into the drive, I was actually craving a black bean burger and that’s what I had for dinner. It was delicious! Lucky for my kids and husband they had all gone out for Mexican before I got home.

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Good Beginnings

Thanks Dee—

I love this post-E_Chinese_Symbols_Proverbs_Beginning

Dee writes:

As we enterred into a new year, many of us lookeded forward to the opportunity to begin things with a fresh, clean slate. Starting over allows us to be energized with the hope of finally tackling our hardest challenges. In the way that a new year sets the tone for the weeks and months to follow, a morning routine also stages the foundation of a person’s day.

When we were children, we lived on sugary cereals, breads, pastries and jams before a school day. As adults, our tastes and cravings for these things don’t change, but our metabolism and nutritional needs do. It becomes much more difficult for adults to consume high levels of sugar and baked goods made with processed enriched flour.
Whole grain options have become popular in recent years because health experts tout that true whole grain products are more time-consuming to digest. Because the grain hasn’t been broken down in manufacturing, it is not as readily absorbed into your bloodstream. Instead of machines processing the parts of the grain to make it smoother and more refined, your body has to put in a bit more effort with a whole grain product. That extra time and effort results in decreased sugar spikes, fewer cravings throughout the day, and diminished hunger until the next meal. Avoiding sugar will benefit the body in the same way.
And remember to eat a real breakfast! Breakfast means breaking a fast. When you start your day with breakfast, your body’s natural metabolism kicks into gear and starts to burn fuel. If sitting down to eat is a challenge, a fruit/veggie smoothie can be a good option.
All smoothies are not created equally. Making them yourself will ensure that you’re not getting a lot of extra sugar and processed foods. A basic recipe can include berries, bananas, yogurt, water, ice. It is best to skip the fruit juice. The sugar content in juices is often very high and — just like the processing of grains — you’re consuming something that is already broken down. If you like orange juice, try substituting eating an orange instead.
Coffee and teas can be added to your breakfast list, but don’t substitute them for water. Just because they are a liquid, doesn’t mean they count in your daily goal of drinking eight full glasses.
Being prepared is the key to making good choices, so be sure to have whole grains, oatmeal, fruit, yogurt on hand the night before. A few other good tips to start your day on the right foot:
  • Prepare clothes for work/school the night before
  • Make a short list of things to do the night before
  • Prepare a lunch or healthy snacks to bring (cut up veggies, nuts, fruit)
  • Give yourself enough time to avoid rushing
And the most important part – if you start your day with sugar and starch, you will have an extremely difficult time avoiding it the rest of the day. Trust me, I took my daughter to a Chinese buffet today. I didn’t overeat and mostly ate the veggies and noodles with a small bit of dessert. Nevertheless, I’ve been eating carbs and sugar all day long.

Follow along Dee’s journey at http://www.gettingthebestoffood

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Guest Blog, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Some People Do Get Better!

Leslee and I were at wit’s end!  She has been miserable with chronic diarrhea that has completely debilitated her life.  After multiple tests and trials of treatments–she said “just put me on an antidepressant and I’ll eat myself  into an oblivion of fatness.”  Luckily, we had a brainstorm idea after reading some my recent blog posts and articles.  We decided that she had nothing to lose by going wheat/gluten-free for a week just to see how she felt.  That weekend she and her friend made homemade bread as her last hoorah!  That evening she spent quality toilet time piling through gluten-free recipes.  She went gung-ho the next week—fruit smoothies for breakfast, a green juice for lunch, and a gluten/wheat-free dinner.  After 3 days exactly she was shocked at having 1 normal bowel movement a day.  After 1 week,  the “chicken skin” bumps on her arms had disappeared.  It seemed too good to be true.  She found a gluten-free pizza from Dominos and actually ate it without symptoms.  After around 2 weeks of improving symptoms, she decided to test her theory by trying some bread—Bah Bahm–dropping bombs within 30 minutes!  I saw her today and her weight was down, acne was cleared, bloating was gone and blood pressure (for which she takes meds) was remarkably low.  Even her cardiologist was surprised by the results.  She is staying with the diet because she feels so remarkable.  She will be sharing some of her stories with us in the near future so stay tuned.  She is a remarkably intelligent, charming, witty working mother.  You will absolutely fall in love with her!!!!  Thanks Leslee for letting me share your story.  You are inspiring others!

*** Tip of the day:  IHOP puts pancake batter in their scrambled eggs to make them look fluffy!

 

 

Leslee’s Super Green Smoothie Recipe

spinach

kale

celery

apples

ginger

lemon to taste

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Comfortably Numb

So today I had the task of repainting our children’s bathroom.  Gone are the days of cute little ducks and frogs that evolved to hot pink stripes and unfortunate remnants of blue hair dying slumber parties gone bad.  Today I was forced to paint a mature face on this memory filled bathroom in anticipation of selling our home this Spring.  It is a mundane chore in which I find less than zero excitement.  First, because  I am a horrid painter.  And second, because I have no patience.  I am sure that a completely bored five-year old spilling cans of paint, talking incessantly, and trying to paint the dog-played no role in the matter.  Emma was kidnapped by my wonderful cousin for a few hours of kid play and I had some time alone in my own head.  This monotonous task devoid interruption left me with some uncluttered mindfulness.  I came to this conclusion.  We can control our diet and what we put in our bodies–the bigger issue is controlling what thoughts we allow into our heads.  Mindset is key–and the moments we have to really clear our minds and set our motivation are way to far and few.  Today is Groundhog’s day–the end of January, a time for the excitement of upcoming springtime, and the unfortunate memory of Bill Murray’s exhausting movie (Groundhog Day) reminding us that it only takes tiny choices to make changes in outcome.

Posted on by Angela in Call to action, Nutrition, Weight Loss 2 Comments

Suggested Reading Lists

Thanks to my lovely patient for asking me to post a Recommended Reading List —so that you all can learn some of the theories behind some of my madness.

 

The Dark Side of Fat Loss by Sean Croxton

Clean by Alejandro Junger MD

Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes

Addiction: The Hidden Epidemic by Pam Killeen

The Unhealthy Truth by Robyn O’Brien

Women, Food, and God by Geneen Roth

The Five Love Languages by Gary D. Chapman

The Obesity Epidemic by Zoe Harcombe

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson

The New Evolution Diet by Art De Vany

The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson

Inflammation Nation by Floyd Chilton

Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr

The Simple Success Solution by Deb Cheslow and Angie Flynn

The Potbelly Syndrome by Russell Farris

Wheat Belly by Dr. William Davis

Devil in the Milk by Keith Woodford

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Against the Grain—part 2

So in the last 3 weeks I have been putting on weight and belly fat like crazy.  I didn’t figure it out till this morning when I was putting together this post on wheat—-Bingo (light bulb)– A few weeks ago I got the crazy notion to add some goldfish crackers on my salad at lunch.  My obsessive compulsive habits had me eating those little heathens daily.  Despite eating primarily PALEO, that little bit of wheat has started that vicious wheat belly cycle all over again.  Needless to say, I will be eliminating those today.

So here is the part 2 of the dreaded wheat conundrum–wheat is a drug!  Crack if you must.

Wheat actually acts like an opioid in the brain.  Like all opioids, wheat can stimulate appetite.  In 1981, the glycemic index was first introduced and ironically wheat had a higher index than sugar and white bread.  Wheat elevates sugar levels which in turn elevate insulin levels.  Insulin resistance can then ensue which can lead to diabetes.  Wheat has a component called amylopectin A which can really elevate insulin levels.  Not to mention that it contains the protein Gliadin which can cross the blood brain barrier.  It actually unlocks the intestinal barrier which can allow foreign antigens to enter the blood stream.  This leads to Leaky Gut Syndrome.  But, more on that to come……

 

 

Symptoms of Insulin Resistance

general fatigue, after meals

difficulty losing weight

always hungry

need for sweets after meals

cravings for sweets are not satisfied after eating them

frequent urination

waist circumference is equal to or greater than hips

irritability between meals

excessive thirst

More detailed information can be found in Dr. William Davis’s book–“Wheat Belly”

and by visiting http://www.wheatbellyblog.com

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

10 Signs You May Be Gluten Intolerant—

It has been estimated that 15% of the US population.  Could you be one of them?

If you have any of the following symptoms, you may actually be gluten intolerant.  Please remember that these symptoms are vague so they only warrant investigating an intolerance.  And as usual, consult your personal physician if you have concerns.

 

1.  Migraine headaches

2.  Keratosis pilaris (bumps that look like chicken skin on the back of your arms)

3.  Fatigue or brain fog after eating gluten

4.  Autoimmune disease (Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Ulcerative colitis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Scleroderma or Multiple sclerosis)

5.  Dizziness or feeling off-balance

6.  PMS or PCOS

7.  Fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue

8.  Inflammation in joints

9.  Anxiety, depression, ADD or mood swings

10.  Digestion issues such as gas, bloating, diarrhea or constipation

 

Personally, my ALCAT did show a mild sensitivity to gluten so I am considering eliminating it.  You can either get an ALCAT test done (approx $250 if not covered by insurance) by contacting me or you could simply do an elimination diet.  This requires you eliminate gluten 100% from your diet for at least 30 days and preferably 90 days.  Then you track your symptoms and when you re-introduce the gluten–see exactly how you feel.

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food 3 Comments