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

wheat

Gluten Issues –with the Gluten God!

What about all that GLUTEN????

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I absolutely love the Underground Wellness Site and always refer legitimately interested patients there to learn about nutrition and it’s healing effects on the body.  The body never ceases to amaze mean and the way that we are all so intricately woven together from system to system makes me marvel at the body’s resilience to its mistreatment.  I wasn’t ever aware of how perfectly in tune my mind, body, and spirit all were until these last few years and I am thankful to my awakening.  I’ve played this video in follow-up to the Wheat Belly video that many of you have watched during your office visits.  I am amazed at how little it takes to cause such an uproar in the body–This one is short and worth a one time viewing.  Tom O’Bryan is like the “Gluten God” to me and Sean Croxton has many resources on his site and podcasts that are filled with incredible science, tips, and transformation stories.  Please dig deeper if you are interested at all!

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

Loving the Unsolicited Feedback!

“Dr Angela,

Just thought that you would like to know that I have been mostly gluten-free since Friday when I saw you.

I have a had a few moments when I did indulge but I am happy to report that I am already 7 pounds lighter! I am so happy and I noticed that my feet are not as swollen anymore.

I could actually lace my shoes tighter!

This is a big deal for me because for the last 2 years putting on my shoes has been a daily reminder of the weight I was gaining and risk I was putting my health in.

I have also cut caffeine completely.

My GI issues also seem to have been greatly improved.

This has been such a blessing.

Thank you”

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Need I say more?  I love that this is really happening for patients!  I couldn’t make this up if I tried.  Have I told you lately that sooooo many patients are getting better with this “Food is thy Medicine” thing.  Quackery, it is not.  This sh&% really works!!

 

Don’t worry-I plan to keep annoying and preaching to you regularly.   I honestly think that hearing the results from other patients is much more inspiring than hearing me preach to you.   So Game On!  Look forward to more inspiring patient stories!

 

Also, please realize this is really hard for my family and I as well.  Staying healthy is expensive, takes a lot of effort, and isn’t fun.  Jeez, it’s almost a full-time job.  Caving into guilt and exhaustion this last week,  I took both of my girls to McDonald’s for dinner (YUCK).   That must be rock bottom!

 

This is hard –and it’s best to take Baby Steps– One baby step at a time!

That’s just about all I can say!  Next week, I think I’ll move to Australia (Alexander and the horrible, terrible, no good, very bad, day)

 

Posted on by Angela in Nutrition, Uncategorized, 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

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

Wheat Woes

If you stop consuming wheat the following should happen—-

1.  Your weight will decrease

2.  Your appetite will decrease

3.  Your blood sugars will decrease

4.  You will have decreased joint pain

5.  Your C-reactive protein will drop (marker of inflammation)

6.  Your blood pressure will improve

7.  Your triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol) will decrease and your HDL (good cholesterol) will increase

8.   You will have less acid reflux and irritable bowel symptoms

All excerpted from Dr. William Davis’s lecture at the A4M conference  in December 2012.  Learn more at his blog

http://www.wheatbellyblog.com

Also visit my previous post Against the Grain -part 1 for more information on the dangers of modern day wheat

 

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

Going Against the Grain: Part 1

I had the fabulous opportunity to listen to Dr. William Davis speak at the World Conference on Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine.  He presented his thoughts on wheat in an incredibly logical and understandable format.  I have decided to give you my dumbed down synopsis on why WHEAT is not the healthy grain with which educators inform us.  I have to plead ignorance on this subject and am grateful to read and learn more everyday to help educate you to the dangers of our food supply.  Remember, nutrition isn’t taught in medical school!

 

Wheat dates back to the Roman Empire when grain was traded for land.  Around 850 to 900 BC , huge glacier melts raised global temperatures allowing wheat to be grown more readily.  Thus ensued the first consumption of grain by humans.  Initially, the seeds of the grain were intolerable to the human gut and caused severe diarrhea.  Therefore, the seeds had to be cooked or heated to make  human digestion possible.  This dramatically changed the culture from the hunter/gathering model to a cultivation model. Hence, birth of agriculture changed our food supply.  When we started consuming grains on a regular basis many changes happened.  The jaws and facial structures of humans decreased because of less need for mastication.  Dental decay increased.  We lost height and bone size. Also, iron deficiency was born.  So ironically, wheat started causing disease this early in the evolutionary path.  Spoiler alert—it’s only going to get worse.

This original wheat was called Eiknorn wheat that contained 14 chromosomes.  I won’t bore you with the intricate science that ensued and will refer you to the book for the specific details but this original wheat was then mated with wild grass multiple times to evolve to the 19/20th century version of wheat called Spelt which then contained 42 chromosomes.

In the 1960’s, the fear of world population explosion caused a push by the government to fund the development of high yield crops.  We then started to increase the yield of wheat crops in hopes to feed the starving population.  The wheat then underwent repetitive hybridization with other wheats and grasses to yield a crop with big seeds and heads and a much smaller stalk.  This modification allowed for a heartier plant that was much more resistant to climate changes, susceptible to fertilizers, and yielded larger seeds.  Now remember–what did the wheat seed originally do to humans? (make them sick???)

Many people say that it is unethical to not eat bread.  I mean what did Christ do at the last supper?  He broke bread–but his bread isn’t the bread we are eating today!  His bread was much closer to what God placed on this earth.  Humans have modified that original grain so dramatically that we have made ourselves ill!

Please consider reading Dr. Davis’s great book for more information.  More to come on the whole Gluten/Gluten Free issues in following posts.  He also has some great grain free ideas and recipes at his site http://www.wheatbellyblog.com

More blog posts to come as I continue to read and educate myself on the dangers of wheat.

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Organic, Whole Food 1 Comment

Gluten Free

If Oprah Winfrey is doing it, there must be something to this fad.  But, is gluten-free dieting just a fad, or is it really an issue in our food products?  We have to start by defining what gluten sensitivity is versus celiac disease.  Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged when a person with the disease eats a gluten product.  This hampers absorption of nutrients and leads to malnutrition along with symptoms of diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating.  Now, if you are like me you are asking, “What is gluten?”  Gluten is a protein present in wheat flour, which is widely used in commercial goods.  It is also found in flour made from barley, rye, and spelt.  There are an estimated 3 million Americans diagnosed with celiac disease.  The rates are doubling every 20 years in Western countries.  The prevailing theory is that our guts have not been taught to deal with gluten as antigens and our immune systems start to react to these proteins as free radicals (Thanks Joe).  The first step, I believe is to get tested for celiac disease by your doctor if you know that you react badly to products like cookies, cakes, pastries and breads.  Keeping a food/symptom diary can really help determine this.  If your celiac tests are negative, you could still have an intolerance to gluten that causes milder symptoms such as achy joints, headaches, chronic fatigue, skin disorders, mood changes and more.  There are tests available to check for gluten intolerance that are very simple.  These blood tests can help determine if you are having some intolerances to gluten or any other food additive.  I should have this blood test available to all AngelaMD.com followers in the next month.  Stay tuned for more on that!

Here is a great website with tons of great gluten-free recipes!  http://glutenfreefix.com/

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