Healing Outside The Box

  Many athletes involved in all types of sports add protein powders to their daily regimen, assuming that it will help stimulate muscle mass as they train. But does it? You would assume many research studies are looking into this, and you would be correct. I discuss an elaborate study that shows that provided the protein intake is adequate, exercise will help strengthen muscle somewhat, as well as improve the weight of bone mass. Additional protein does not work any better than adequate protein. Here is the link to the study. I found an interesting article That refers to many studies on building muscle mass later in life. The article can be found here. The national Institute of Health (NIH) recently put out a literature review of many randomized control studies on the subject of muscle mass with exercise in older individuals. That link can be found here. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me on my website contact page, at healing outside the box.com.

That idea for this episode was sparked by an article in the Guardian about a woman who changed her yard into a suburban micro-farm. That article hit so many positive notes that I thought it was worthy of an entire episode. But first, I did a quick review of the new documentary "Food Inc. 2". This is a sequel to the popular but controversial documentary "Food Inc", produced in 2008. Although they made excellent points in this sequel and it's an important topic for the front burner, I would have to put this one in the category of "more of the same". I recommend that you may be better off watching the first of this pair of documentaries, which is available on YouTube TV, Netflix, and other places. This educational piece on micro-farming used a specific example of one woman's brave step into what will hopefully be the future of local farming. In 2014, the Obama Administration started the micro-farm program which joined forces with local farmers and wanna-be farmers to provide financial incentives for homeowners to grow their own food.  At a time when folks are concerned about the rising price of supermarket food, this program provides an opportunity to have free food or nearly-free food grown in your neighborhood. This program utilizes water recycling and overall water conservation, community access to organic soil,  space-preserving technology, natural pest control, farm subsidies, and a path to cash for sharing your harvest.  All this program needs now is a nudge from our leaders.

I often get questions from people who have seen advertisements for weight loss supplements and they wonder if they work. One of those supplement companies has a product that they call "GOLO". Their pitch is that it is a combination of supplement pills and a low-calorie diet, but it is primarily pills that contain a few minerals and some crushed herbs. I took a deep dive into the literature on the herbs they have included and I discuss the results in this episode. Before I got to GOLO, I mentioned a wonderful organization called World Central Kitchen. They recently lost seven of their disaster relief workers in Gaza; tragically they made headlines for the worst possible reason. These people head towards the disaster while the rest of us are fleeing. They need our help more than ever now. I first read an article in a lay magazine about the basics of the diet advice and herbal remedies they include. The link to the article can be found here. I read an NIH article about the gardenia extract and I was surprised that there was some promise with this one. Here is the link to the NIH article. This is an NIH article on the Banaba extract. Another NIH article shows promising results from the salacious extract for both weight loss and blood sugar control.

I stumbled upon an article about meditation that led me down a rabbit hole of other articles looking into why or how meditation helps us feel better. Turns out, there are hundreds of recent articles discovering exactly what meditation is doing in our bodies. So where would I begin? It was overwhelming to be sure. But I started with articles from the National Institute Of Health, or NIH, which publishes a meta-analysis on a certain topic. The first was a very long NIH group of studies which reported that there is a special protein called brain derived neurotrophic factor, which is necessary for healthy brain function. Low levels of this protein can be found in patients with Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease. But what can we do to improve the levels of this protein? Exercise helps. A high antioxidant, plant-based diet helps. But what about meditation? The results discussed here seem promising. Next, I reveal an NIH meta-analysis article that gets into the area of epigenetics. This can get complicated and sciency, but they are basically saying that meditation might help us with adaptability to our environment. They may be in the initial exploratory phase of understanding what is going on, but I find it fascinating. The article can be found here.  There is a more comprehensive article by the national Center for complementary and integrative health that is excellent. It gives us all a feel for the larger picture. I could see a time where regular meditation becomes a part of our healthcare plan. At the very least, it could help us through this post-pandemic, scary – political time in American culture. As always, feel free to contact me on my contact page, at healing outside the box, if you have any questions or suggestions of future episodes.

Today's episode is a relatively short one, so I thought I would start by giving you a 5 minute sample of my new memoir, called Helpers Anonymous (now on audible and itunes. If you are interested in listening to the audio version of the memoir, you could send me your first name and email address and I will email you one of the free audible codes for the book. If you want another version and just prefer to get it yourself, the paperback, ebook, and audio versions can be found on Amazon, right here. The question today is not about whether proteins are essential for life and if we need to get them from food. It is and we do. Today we are talking about the source of the protein, plant versus animal. And more specifically, does one type of protein influence blood sugar control or insulin resistance?  As it turns out, an abundance of branched-chain amino acids from animal protein, may be associated with insulin resistance or even type II diabetes. The National Institute for Health (NIH) has put out several journal articles, like this one, reporting that people with type II diabetes have higher levels of branched-chain amino acids than control subjects. Another more detailed NIH article goes into the connection in more detail. The title is "the emerging role of Branched-chain Amino acids in insulin resistance and Metabolism." But the entire role of branched-chain amino acids is still unclear. One NIH article suggested that when branched-chain amino acids were taken as supplements by the military to guard against traumatic brain injury, they may have been effective. However, they do not increase the growth of brain cells. The reason that there is no clear-cut proof that animal protein causes an increased risk of insulin resistance, may be that it's just complicated. One possible explanation that is being investigated is that it may be more to do with altered gene expressions, caused by mutations. Whatever it is, the problem is related to protein that comes from animals, not plants. 

Back in the old days, maybe 50 years ago, scientists believed that it was all about the math. We decided that a deficit of 3500 calories would equal 1 pound of weight loss and the weight loss was from the burning of fat stores for that energy. If that's the case, a daily deficit of 500 calories per day would be equal to 1 pound of fat loss per week. But that is not the case at all. The reason for the leveling off of weight loss is explained today. But first, a bittersweet announcement. I will be ending my ongoing podcast episodes at episode 300, but the old content will remain available on my website, Healing Outside the box. The work to put out a podcast episode was just too much for someone like myself, as I am getting physically weaker. I will still continue to write and keep my website running, and look into nutrition in the news for my social media posts. Speaking of which, the makers of balance of nature supplements have been ordered to stop production and sales of their products until they can come into compliance with FDA regulations. You can read more details in this article from the Center of Science for the Public Interest. There is a short video by Dr. Michael Gregor that discusses the science behind the debunking of the “3500 calories for one pound myth” about weight loss. There is a blog post as well with similar information. The national Institute of Health (NIH) has a few articles that provide the scientific background as to why the theories are changing. It is related to the power of our gut microbiota. More specifically, how the quality of the microorganisms can either help or hurt our weight loss efforts. The first is an explanation of how both probiotics and prebiotics can set up healthy gut microbiota to make weight loss happen more effectively. The second explains that a higher diversity of gut microbiota affects weight loss. They show that a lower diversity of microbes was related to obesity and insulin resistance. It's all about the microbes, baby.

If there was ever a topic that my unique combination of background experience leads me to have an opinion about, it would be Ozempic. Yet, even I am not sure about exactly where the internal debate in my head finally lands. And that leads me to believe that the “one size fits all” nutrition advice just won't work here. But before I get into Ozempic, I want to bring your attention to a short video on scientific studies examining skin creams for anti-aging. Because the topic is so subjective and mice won't sit still long enough to apply the skin cream, there are very few legitimate double-blind studies on whether or not these creams work. However, there was one study that demonstrated improvements in the skin after application of a niacin cream. The video can be found here.  I mentioned that even the 60 Minutes news show has differing opinions on the subject. The 60 minutes – Australia clip discussed an incident where a young woman died because she was so adamant about not wanting to stop the Ozempic, that she ignored nausea and vomiting and died in her sleep. The 60 minutes- US clip was basically an advertisement for the drug. The clinician implied that it would be perfectly safe for the patient to remain on the drug for an entire lifetime. That is simply not true.  Another video I discussed was 6 short interviews with 6 experts who had 6 different pieces of advice. That video can be found here. I eventually get around to giving you my opinion, but I suppose I owe you a quick synopsis of my background on which I formulated this opinion. In school, my major was Nutritional biochemistry. My first real job was as a lab tech at the Nutritional Pathology labs at MIT. We tested substances to see if they would cause cancer in laboratory rats. Then I worked in the Biochemistry labs at Brandeis, testing whether substances could decrease or increase the risk of cancer. Then I got a second degree in food science where I focused on microbiology, or pathogenic organisms in food. Then I got a registered dietitian certification and worked with people who had obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. I also studied eating disorders.  So as you can see, all of my earlier experiences lead me to focus on preventative healthcare. I am glad to hear that so many people are losing weight on these drugs, but thoughts about being cautious are stewing in the back of my mind.  If you have any questions about Ozempic or weight loss that you wish to discuss with me, you can go to my services page on my website to book an appointment. You can also text me at my Google voice number, which is 978-712-9556.

Once again, I review different types of foods where sell-by dates are important and explain why that may be the case. As in part one, the take-away message is that it's good to know which foods might spoil and taste lousy versus which foods could cause food poisoning. But first, I announce that there are still promo codes for free copies of my memoir in audiobook format. Simply leave your email address and first name on my contact page and I will email you a code to the audiobook. You can also contact me on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter (X} and leave your email address there. In part two, I go through most of the popular condiments and discuss food safety issues around common products like oil cold cuts, nuts, and canned goods. The two organizations that do the inspecting, grading, and labeling laws are the USDA and the FDA. The USDA website can be found here and the FDA website can be found here. As always, you can reach me through my website, healing outside the box, or message me on my contact page, if you have any questions or suggestions for future topics.

Breaking news! (I hope) My new memoir called "Helpers Anonymous" is now out in audiobook format, on audible and iTunes. I still have free codes to hand out! So if you would like to listen to my audiobook, I still have some available for free audiobooks. If you would like a complimentary audiobook, just message me with your first name and email address on my website contact page, at Healing Outside the Box. Here is the link on Amazon if you're interested in the paperback or Kindle version. I also want to bring to your attention an article that came out recently. It suggests that we humans are not that much unlike wild animals in that we eat more in the fall to survive the winter. Although we are not likely to counteract evolutionary history anytime soon, awareness of the situation can certainly help to keep the extra pounds to a minimum. You can get a short version of the details in this video from Dr. Michael Gregor. As always, if you have any questions, or would like to speak to a nutritionist about how to perhaps avoid squirreling away extra calories this fall/winter, you can reach me on my website services page, which is here.

When I learned that up to 70% of college athletes are now taking creatine supplements, I decided to look into studies that examined its effectiveness.  Before I got into creatine supplements, I went over a few points from the previous episodes on the benefits of berries and other antioxidants. There is a five minute video by Dr. Michael Greger on the power of berries to fight inflation as well as cancer cell growth. That video can be found here. I then discussed some studies comparing two groups of people and the incidence and mortality of Covid-19. The groups were separated based on whether they ate a plant strong Mediterranean diet or a more traditional meat and potatoes American diet. This NIH study showed that the group eating more plants and no red meat had better outcomes, both in terms of incidence of severe symptoms and mortality. Interestingly, they ran the same study after the 1918 flu pandemic with a Seventh-day Adventist seminary and found similar results. Seventh-day Adventists, as a group, don't eat meat or chicken. There was a recent article originally published in the British medical Journal and re-published by NIH, which basically said the same thing with almost 600 patients. People who regularly ate a diet high in legumes and whole grains had significantly lower odds of getting severe Covid 19. I eventually got around to talking about the necessity and effectiveness of creatine for athletes. A good overall article on this subject can be found here. I have an announcement about my new memoir...It is coming out in audiobook form soon! If you send me your email and join my new episode mailing list, I will be giving out free copies of the book for 7 days! Just leave your first name and email address at https://healingoutsidethebox.com  

We all know that rates of cancer seem to be rising for many different types of cancer. Most notably colorectal, breast, prostate, and skin cancer. But why? This is a complicated question with no simple answer. Colorectal cancer is definitely food-related, but smoking, weight, and epi-genetics play a role. Breast and prostate cancer can be influenced by hormones, but also by quality of food intake. Even skin cancer, which is tied to the amount of protective melanin in your skin and lower UV protection in the atmosphere, can result in improved healing and prognosis with an anti-cancer diet. In part 2, I go through the evidence of specific nutrients and their potential role in preventing and treating cancer. I refer to a large review article in the journal Nature. The link can be found here. There is a quote from the Harvard Gazette that I mentioned:  “Diet directly affects microbiome composition and eventually these changes can influence disease risk and outcomes.” The National Institute of Health also posts a large review article saying the same thing. It can be found here.  I did 2 episodes on the benefits of broccoli sprouts for symptoms of autism. They are episode 255 and episode 256.  If you wish to reach me for any reason, don't hesitate to contact me on my website contact page, healingoutsidethebox.com  

There have been stories in the media recently about cancer rates increasing in younger people in this country.  That is also true in England, but not so much in Asian countries (where folks eat less processed meat and more plant-based foods). Among the 14 cancer types on the rise, eight are related to the digestive system. The recent news is based on a large study that makes the link between changes in our diet since 1990 and cancers of the digestive system. We certainly don't have any answers for sure, and I am not the go-to expert on this, but it certainly warrants a closer look. Before I get into the studies, I want to remind everyone that the Healthy Incentives program is happening at farmers markets throughout the country. It's a federal program that is very successful here in Massachusetts. But if you need advice on how to find out if you're eligible for $40 of free produce every month, just contact me on my website contact page, at Healing Outside the Box, and I can let you know how to find out if you are eligible in your town. I also mentioned that my memoir is now out in paperback. It's called "Helpers Anonymous" and it explores my relationships with my caregivers during the rise in the opioid epidemic. If you decide to get the book on Amazon and would like to contribute a review, I would greatly appreciate it! There was an article in the Guardian from July that points out the rates of cancer-related to the digestive system as particularly alarming. There has been a 70% increase in the rate of colorectal cancers from 1990 to 2019. Scientists are now interested in the link between food eaten when we are young and the balance of healthy and pathogenic bacteria in our gut. There was a large review article in Nature, that mentions all of the digestive-related cancers on the rise and suggests that it might be an imbalance in our microbiome. They also looked at epi-genetics and suggested that even small mutations in our genetic material can put us at greater risk of many cancers. In part two next week, I will look into what the National Institute of Health has to say about all of this. And finally how we can hedge our bets with some tweaking of our dietary habits to lower our risk of all cancers.

Now, I mean this in only the nicest possible way. But sometimes I review a documentary so you don't have to watch the whole darn thing yourself. Unless you want to; which you may in this particular case. I'm reviewing a documentary called "The Need to Grow", which tells us about two pioneers in the sustainability/save the planet field. These two men are Eric Cutter and Mike Smith. Eric Cutter is a micro farmer who uses the latest technology to grow a whole bunch of organic produce on an urban plot. Mike Smith uses science to make electricity from algae and combine that with carbon technology to replenish the soil with microbes and nutrients. These two guys join forces to make the magic happen. If you want to find out more about the importance of biodiversity, The Food Revolution Network people have reprinted an article on the subject, that can be found here. If you would like to watch the documentary yourself, there are a few ways to get to it. You may still be able to get it free of charge by clicking here.  If you want to look into some resources to find out what you could do in your community, check out the website of the documentary producers. The website can be found here. If you have any questions or would like guidance in your journey to eat more sustainably, I am available for nutrition counseling on my website, Healing outside the box.

I don't mind telling you that I have been obsessed with Balance of Nature supplements since I have been forced to listen to numerous replays of TV ads during one of my favorite shows. I hear myself yelling things like. "have you no shame?" at the TV, but the ads just keep coming. Spoiler alert: These snake oil salesmen will deduct $90 – $100 from your credit card every month for a whole lot of nothingness in a capsule. You will be much better off nutritionally and financially, buying organic fruits and vegetables yourself. I googled "balance of nature" and looked at the list of websites that popped up. The first one was called healthy expert reviews.com. The title at the top of the page read "good value or a scam?" When you open the website, it pushes you to buy another equally scammy product similar to balance of nature.  The second one was called smart supplement reviews.com. This is a bogus website pushing another ridiculous product called "sustenance – fruits and greens". The third website I looked into was called total health reports.com. This looks like someone who was paid to write a one-page blog about how wonderful Balance of Nature is... even though I had googled "is balance of nature a scam?". I also googled the Balance of Nature website and got only large pictures of the front of the label. Noticeably missing was any information about what is in these capsules. I then calm down and get about the business of advising you on how to get all of those nutrients and fiber that you were hoping to get from Balance of Nature. There is a short video about the many benefits of fiber that I discuss, which can be found here.  By the way, the paperback version of my new memoir called "Helpers Anonymous" has just come out. I am offering a copy of my memoir free of charge until July 24th. For the next 10 days you can get either a Kindle version or a paperback version sent to you. You can email me on my website contact page (healing outside the box) and send either your email or your address-if you prefer the paperback-and I will send it to you. You can read the blurb on Amazon.com. If you wish to also leave a rating and review, that would be terrific!      

For this episode, I go where few podcasters are brave enough to go; that is, a discussion of healthy poop. And more specifically, how to improve the quality of your gut bacteria to have that desirable poop. But first, I get on my soapbox once more to discuss Balance of Nature supplements. The consumer fraud reporting people discuss this company in more detail on their website, which can be found here. I've looked around to find other reviews of these products, but it is hard to find a review that doesn't send you back to Balance of Nature's own website. I had to go to Amazon and get a pick of the nutrition label. As you can see, there is literally nothing in this product. In the body of this episode, I discuss a not unrelated topic: the restoration of natural gut bacteria with fecal transplants. There is a podcast that has been ongoing for some time called "the perfect stool". They have episodes on this topic. The first episode is from March 30, 2022, and it is on the treatment of C diff infection with fecal transplants. The second episode is from January 10, 2023, on the treatment of autism with fecal transplants. I looked into a couple of reliable sources for my information on this topic. The first is a study from Mount Sinai hospital and the second is a study from Johns Hopkins. I have a couple of episodes on the general topic of building a healthy gut microbiota. They are episode 223 and episode 229 which can be found on my website page, Healing Outside the Box.

Have you been wondering if the rise in auto-immune diseases is a real thing?  Well, it is. The question creating much discussion among scientists is the cause for this rise in many conditions triggered by an overactive inflammatory response. The blame has been focused on the Western diet, and specifically within the US and England. The cases of multiple sclerosis, lupus, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, and psoriasis have increased substantially in the last 50 years. But what, specifically in the western diet is creating this over-active inflammatory response? Scientists aren't sure. But there are some interesting discussions out there about the role that additives in our food supply might be playing. Before I get into that, I discuss what herbs you may on my not want to grow at home, if you trying to save money and put together some recipes. The one gadget I think might be worth the money is a root starter kit that you can find on Amazon. The one I purchased can be found here. There is an NIH article that describes how chronic inflammation is associated with many disorders that may surprise you, such as heart disease and depression.   And this Guardian article is a good over-all reference that ties auto-immune diseases to processed foods pretty convincingly. I discussed the relationship between inflammation and colon cancer in episode 283. There will be more research on these relationships in the future, If you need to reach me, don't hesitate to text my Google number at 978-712-9556. You can also send me an email at my Healing outside the box website.

Before I tell you about the wonderful benefits of oatmeal, I go on a rant about Balance of Nature vitamins. The first and perhaps only thing you need to know... Is that there are no nutrients listed on the label because there are no nutrients in that bottle. For $100 per month, you get only practice swallowing big pills. Historically, oatmeal was a treatment for adult onset diabetes. More recently, researchers decided to study the actual change in the blood sugar numbers. They were pleased to find out that the results were even more promising than they anticipated. A short video describing these findings can be found here. A meta-analysis (grouping of many studies on the same subject) of the metabolic effects of oatmeal in diabetic patients was published in the Journal, Nutrients. The Canadian Journal of diabetes published another study showing dramatically improved blood sugar control on a plant-based diet with plenty of oatmeal. The results can be found here.  There are now two ways to reach me if you want health and wellness coaching. You can email me on my website contact page, Which Is Healing Outside The Box. Or you can send a text to my Google voice, which is 978-712-9556.

Two independent researchers have recently discovered that inflammation (which is occurring in a tumor in our bodies) is contributing to the tumor's growth. Does this mean that anti-inflammatory compounds can contribute to slowing or even stopping the growth of tumors? Well, that is exactly where the research is heading, and it looks promising. Today I look into the details of these two independent studies. The first comes from researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai hospital. The details that explain how cancer cells replicate uncontrollably and are enhanced by inflammation, can be found here.  The second article I discuss comes from Science Daily and can be found here. The research comes from the Brigham and women's Hospital cancer research labs, here in Boston. This study links the growth of colon cancer cells to a certain type of gram-negative bacteria that can grow in our gut. This bacteria is linked to our so-called Western diet, in particular to higher amounts of saturated fat from meats, especially processed meats. These bad bacteria can produce endotoxins, which is the theory behind why they enhance the growth of colon cancer. There was also a short nutrition facts video that talks about endotoxins as it relates to our food, and in particular, high and low-fiber foods. that video can be found here.    I now have a Google number for texting me with questions, requests for recipes, and suggestions for future episodes. It's 978-712-9556. I'm usually online between 7 PM and 8 PM ET most evenings if you want to catch me live. If you're interested in a free PDF of my upcoming memoir, you can text me there and leave your first name and email in the text message. Comments and reviews are welcome! You can also reach me at my website contact page, at healingoutsidethebox.com.  

Most of us have taken notice of the rise in prices at the grocery store. Is there a way to continue to eat our favorite foods without anxiety about feeling broke? Yes, in fact, there is. But it takes some planning and a few adjustments. Before I get into the “meat” of the episode, I discuss a study published on the fat-suppressing effect of spinach. The study was explained here. I mentioned that you could use the cuttings from a stem of basil or the root of a scallion to grow plants in window pots. The link to a cute glass container to root the cuttings can be found here. As always, feel free to email me on my contact page at Healing Outside the Box. I can answer questions you may have, suggest recipes, or provide nutrition counseling according to your specific needs.     

Many of us are familiar with bribes to get us to eat our vegetables when we were kids. It was either "you can have a yummy dessert if you eat your vegetables"... Or "you cannot have a yummy dessert if you don't eat your vegetables". Is either option a good idea if the goal is to improve our intake of vegetables as adults?   Probably not. Today I look into positive and negative incentives to eat healthier and I cite some research studies that suggest both types of incentives can help if designed correctly.  But first, I discuss a bunch of research articles on the benefits of something called sulfuraphane, found in the cabbages and in broccoli. An article listing the benefits and providing just enough explanation can be found here. An example of a positive incentive to eat healthy produce is already in play. It is a USDA program (therefore available in all 50 states) and it's called the "healthy incentives program" or HIP. It is hugely successful in Massachusetts, but this program relies on states to initiate it in their own state. This HIP program provides $40-$60 worth of free, mostly organic, produce and nuts to all those who have SNAP or food stamps. This additional funding is on top of the current SNAP benefits and only adds healthy food to the current allotment.  You can read about the program in Massachusetts in this article. I am very familiar with this because I was the one who presented it to my retired Congressman John Tierney. That allowed me to meet Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, who ran with it and developed it into the successful program currently in place.  There is also a lot of discussion and some studies testing whether or not negative incentives work to improve healthy eating habits. An example of a negative incentive would be a tax on soda or saturated fat. A good article with a discussion about the success of a tax on soda and/or saturated fat can be found here. As always, feel free to contact me on my website, Healing Outside the Box. If you would like assistance with healthy recipe ideas or would like the support of a nutritionist, I have a variety of services I offer that can be found here.                

I mentioned this In part one but it's worth repeating: if you are seriously considering weight loss surgery, please speak with a trusted healthcare professional. It is a huge decision and cannot be undone once it is done. Having said that, I go over some of the changes your body will experience and things that you need to look out for. I then get to talking about the sustainability of weight loss with bariatric surgery. Dr Michael Greger has a short video on this with references. It can be found here. As we all know, the science behind successful and sustainable weight loss involves our brain and can paint a complicated picture. Self sabotage and the boomerang effect are factors to consider. If you have any questions for me about the nutritional impact of bariatric surgery, feel free to email me on my contact page, At Healing outside the box.

I'm bringing you part one of a two-part series on the risks and benefits of weight loss surgery. If I sound like a glass-half-empty person on this issue, you would be correct. I cannot emphasize enough that there are consequences to the surgery that need to be considered before making such an important decision.  Usually, surgeons prefer a BMI of 40 before they will consider gastric bypass surgery. BMI is calculated as follows: [wt (lbs)/ ht (in)2] x 703 weight: 240 lbs, ht: 70 in:  240/(70 x 70) =0.049   0.049 x 703 = 34.4 BMI A BMI of 34.4 would not qualify someone for gastric bypass. Dr Michael Gregor has a short video discussing some of the consequences. It can be found here. If you have any questions and would like me to address them, feel free to email me on my contact page, which is on my Healing outside the box website.

I was recently given this article from the New Yorker magazine on the newest "best" restaurant in the US. The restaurant presents authentic Native American cuisine and the chef is a native American himself. His name is Sean Sherman and he single-handedly brought the topic of native American cuisine front and center.  After looking into it myself, I was surprised at how little I knew about what our "Wanna-be ancestors" actually ate. I also discuss an article from the Guardian about the failure of imitation meat products to take hold in fast-food restaurants. It seems that both the Burger King Impossible burger and the McDonald's McPlant burger, both sizzled and then fizzled. In my opinion, marketing to a meat-loving population by trying to imitate the original beef patty, while keeping the calories and saturated fat really high, was a huge mistake. Perhaps they should have marketed to vegetarians, with a Patty containing mushrooms, black beans, or even fish.  Check with dietitians next time! As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for future episode topics, you can always email me on my contact page, at Healing outside the box.

In part 2 of my discussion on the damage that fat shaming can do, I brainstorm things we could do in the preventative arena, both through government intervention and individual efforts.  The first article discusses the labeling of obesity as a disease and what political actions resulted from that decision. The article can be found here.  There was a heartwarming article from the Guardian about an organization called "Plantng Justice". You can find that article here. If you want to follow me on instagram, search either my username (jeannetiberio) or real name (Jeanne Tiberio). I'll be posting short videos of mushroom recipes soon!    

It may be time to get a little uncomfortable with what should be common sense but is seldom discussed. And it's this: Fat shaming is condoned in the medical community and it makes matters worse, not better. Let's put it another way: If someone is shamed or ridiculed for being overweight, they tend to gain weight rather than lose weight. There have been a bunch of articles written on the subject recently. The American Medical Association looked at weight bias and its harmful effects in their journal of ethics. The link can be found here. Dr. Michael Gregor has a six-minute video where he discusses the harmful effects of weight bias. You can find that video here. This Cleveland Clinic article defines why leptin is an important hormone in weight regulation. There is also an NIH article that discusses this topic in depth. To estimate calories needed, multiply your Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) by an activity factor: BMR = 10 x wt (Kg)  +  6.25 x ht (cm) - 5 x age {years)  - 161 Sedentary: BMR x 1.2 Lightly active: BMR x 1.375 Moderately active: BMR x 1.55 Very active: BMR x 1.725 As always, feel free to contact me on my website contact page, Which Is Healing Outside the Box.  

We women of a certain age tend to take thinning hair very seriously. But here's what I have been wondering. Is it really worse here in the 21st century, or are we more self-aware of our looks since we've been bombarded with images of beautiful hair on TV and video? I have looked into this and it turns out this may indeed be the case. Our hair may be thinning out at an earlier age now. But if it is worse, what can we do about it? I discuss what's out in the literature on this topic. Dr. Michael Greger has a short six-minute video discussing best dietary practices to preserve your hair. He looks into the literature for what works and what doesn't work to keep your hair healthy and on your head. That can be found here. If you want information on want to ask questions about what I have found, feel free to contact me on my contact page on my website. It Is Healing Outside the Box.

In this cranked-up super-speed society we live in, we're usually on to something else if the topic doesn't grab our attention in the first 6 seconds. And that would certainly be the case if the topic is anhydrous ammonia fertilizer. But today I'm asking you to care, for many reasons that I discuss in this episode. Before I get to the fertilizer, I mention the group of foods that give you the most nutritional quality for your food dollar. And that group would be beans, chickpeas, split peas, and lentils. And you can do mainstream lunches and suppers with these inexpensive foods. If you want a copy of my favorite bean recipes (including a killer hummus),  just send a note on my contact page and I will email you my favorite recipes.  One of the reasons that beans and lentils are highly nutritious is that they have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory substances that have been shown to help prevent cardiovascular events (strokes, heart attacks). They also slow down the entry of glucose into our bloodstream. Dr. Michael Gregor has both a video and a blog article that gets into the studies that show this. In the episode, I mention a description of farmworkers getting 3rd-degree burns when their skin is exposed to liquid OR gaseous ammonia in these concentrations. The article that I quote from can be found here.  Although the data on this is alarmingly minimal, liquefied anhydrous ammonia does appear to kill earthworms on or near the surface where this toxic substance is sprayed. Killing earthworms is bound to have a trickle-down effect on the nutritional quality and flavor of food. The USDA article that tells us all about earthworms can be found here.  If you have any questions or comments on this or other episodes, feel free to contact me on my contact page, which is on my website: Healing outside the Box.

Happy Earth Day, people! I thought I'd celebrate this beautiful planet of ours by talking about garbage.  but first, I tell you a little story about a town called Hamilton Massachusetts. It is where the richest 1% hang their hats... and their town sport is polo. (Of course, it is.) Last year they quietly initiated a mandatory curbside composting program. You can read the story in our local newspaper here. I was jealous that Hamilton was getting free composting bins when they could certainly afford to buy their own, so I went to the composting website in my town, Salem, and they listed options if you were inclined to do your own composting with your own money. If you would like to see what they are offering, the link is here. if you want to invest more money for less labor, there are a bunch of compost tumblers to choose from. This particular one appears to be a decent option that will limit the manual stirring of the contents and keep out the rodents. EPA has an excellent website with instructions on how to home compost using worms. The EPA walks you through the process on this website. As always, if you have any questions or would like to hire a nutritionist to help you with your wellness goals, feel free to contact me on my website contact page, at Healing Outside the Box.

Have you ever wondered what causes you to feel hungry, even though you perhaps shouldn't be?  In this episode, I discuss the biology behind what makes us feel hungry or full. The initial NIH article that I refer to frequently (a meta-analysis of 10 studies on ghrelin) can be found here  in this article from endocrine web.com, the author explains how issues with the hypothalamus, insulin secretion, or weight can create imbalances of both Ghrelin (the hunger hormone) and leptin (the fullness hormone). I also explain how marijuana gives people "the munchies". It is the THC that triggers the release of ghrelin, whether we are hungry or not. CBD by itself does not have the same effect on ghrelin levels. But if the CBD gummies relieve nausea, the person may feel more like eating. The reference from the Washington Post article can be found here.  If you have any questions or would like to speak to a nutrition professional about your appetite and stress issues, feel free to contact me on my contact page, here at Healing outside the box.  

Many of us are feeling some anxiety about what to believe or disbelieve regarding how to avoid getting sick from Covid. Maybe the old saying "if it looks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's probably a duck" may be right after all. Does it matter if there is a 5% chance that it is a goose? I've plowed through a bunch of research articles and I have laid them out in this podcast episode... In no particular order. this first video is a YouTube talking head video between two physicians. They both agree that offering a vitamin D supplement to Covid patients because the evidence is strong that people need adequate vitamin D to fight the disease. These next two references from pub med look at what the past data on thousands of Covid patients are telling us, in an abstract only. Reference(1) reference (2) this British Medical Journal article takes another stance, stating there is not enough evidence proving a strong relationship between vitamin D deficiency and severe illness/death from Covid. Here is a retrospective case-control study from the Middle East, showing that everyone in the world is getting on board with this research. It explains the connection between blood pressure regulation and the binding of the Covid virus to our cells. This article explains that it is currently testing a drug to basically do what vitamin D is doing... Competing with the virus for the binding site to our cells.  

I decided to do an episode on the light and airy (dare I say fluffy) topic of popping corn for the holidays. But first, I discussed something on a more serious note. I ran across some information on vitamin D as it relates to Covid 19. The first article that I read through came from the journal Science and it can be found here.  The second article is a PubMed article published by NIH. That article can be found here. Both of these articles suggest that people with Covid 19 who were on ventilators or died were deficient in Vitamin D. I plan to look into this further for my next episode.  As for the popcorn links, here is an article on the different varieties of popcorn, if you're interested. And Eden Brothers puts out varieties for sale.

As most of us who sit through TV commercials are aware, any medications we are prescribed come with both benefits and possible risks. And the risk of side effects will go up when the dose goes up. But how are these clinical drug trials put together and who decides whether or not the risk is acceptable? Today I tell you a story of the Lopid clinical study that I was involved in as a Registered Dietitian. But first, I refer you to a layperson's article on possible side effects of Lopid, also called gemfibrozil. You can find the article here. This Journal of the American Medical Association article discussed the benefit/risk ratio in more detail. This FDA report gives a detailed analysis of possible side effects of taking Lopid or Clofibrate and concludes that the benefits do not outweigh the risks. The risks include gallbladder disease, gallstones, pancreatitis, and even cancer. In this later report of a rat study with higher doses, there was a significantly higher incidence of liver tumors in these treated rats.  As always, if you have any questions or would like to suggest topics for future episodes, feel free to contact me on my website contact page, Healing Outside the Box.

Today I am flapping my gums about the use of statins over the past 50 years. First, I give you a little background about what your cholesterol numbers mean, how they may affect your risk factors for heart disease and stroke, and how these statins actually work. Then I delve into the sensitive territory about whether or not dietary changes can do everything that these medications do. I discuss an article from NIH that gets into detail about the benefits and risks of the different statins. If you want to read further, you can access that here. One of the possible side effects of statins is irritability or anxiety. People who suffer from these conditions (which can be almost anyone over the past two years) can read more about this side effect in this article. I want to hear from you! Feel free to email me a question or comment about your own nutrition-related health condition on my website contact page, Healing outside the box.  

Have you ever looked at a recipe and thought to yourself: I would like to make this, but I don't like brussels sprouts, or I can't eat wheat flour? This week I go over how we can go about substituting an ingredient, or cooking technique, or a lower fat substitution, without ruining the recipe. But first, I bring to your attention a couple of great videos on youtube. The first is a Ted talk by Ron Finley, the guy they call the guerrilla gardener. It is a great video if you looking for some general inspiration. The second Ted talk is by Jamie Oliver who encourages us not to give up on childhood obesity and the suffering that it causes to our nation's children. I also update you on the trial of Dwayne Johnson. Mr. Johnson is suing Monsanto because he was told to spray roundup on schoolyards to kill dandelions and now has non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Read the article on the trial here. As always, if you have any questions about replacing ingredients with healthier alternatives, feel free to email me on my contact page or comment in the comments section. I am always looking for new ideas for future episodes. If you want to make suggestions, feel free to email me on my contact page. I look forward to hearing from you!  

I recently came across an article in the New York Times magazine that talked about the sciencey details about why we burn extra calories. So I thought I would talk about examples that would clear up any confusion about the science. That article from the New York Times can be found here. There is a broader article in the journal Science that the NYT article was based on. You can read more detailed articles noted at the end if you subscribe to the journal Science.  If you are interested in nutrition counseling or general Health and Wellness coaching, feel free to visit my Healing Outside the Box website and check out the different packages available.    

It is a common belief that the obstacle keeping us from achieving our wellness goals is either a lack of time or money. But when it comes to cooking healthy meals from scratch at home, we may want to consider confidence and priority setting as possible obstacles as well.  The reality is that we can actually save money and possibly time by planning ahead. Then it is only a matter of making it a priority to cook healthy at home and, like everything else, gaining confidence by practicing and getting better. In this episode, I show you how.

I recently came across this article from the Journal of the American Medical Association. It basically says that if you supplement money given to food stamp (SNAP) recipients with programs like healthy cooking classes, the nutritional quality and time spent making home-cooked meals increased significantly. All the numbers improved, folks. Weight decreased, blood sugar decreased, blood pressure decreased, and even moods improved. Sounds like a magic pill to me. The link to the JAMA article can be found here. During this episode, I discuss cooking an aromatic dish called coconut chicken curry. The recipe is below: Coconut Chicken Curry For a vegetarian version of this dish, swap a 15 oz. can drained, low sodium chickpeas for the chicken. You can alternatively substitute with cashews or peanuts. You can also add ½ teaspoon of garam marsala or cumin if you desire even more aromatics. Ingredients: ½ - ¾ lb. split chicken breast, (2) 1 tsp. salt 1 onion, chopped or diced 2 Tbs. canola oil 2 cloves fresh garlic 1 cup water or organic broth 1 Tbs. curry powder 1 teaspoon turmeric 6-8 small red potatoes, cut in half 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced ½ fresh green pepper, sliced into strips 5-6 fresh basil leaves 1 large or 2 small bay leaves 1 cup coconut milk Directions: • Sauté the onion in the oil for 3-5 minutes. You can brown the chicken at this step and then move to a plate. Add garlic and sauté only another 60 seconds. Add a cup of filtered water or organic broth. If your broth is not low sodium, you may want to omit or reduce the salt. • Stir in the curry powder/turmeric and cook for 1 minute. • Add the tomatoes, carrots, potatoes. Cover and simmer until carrots, pepper, potatoes are tender, to your liking, about 8-10 minutes. • Stir in coconut milk. Add the chicken to the skillet and gently simmer until the meat is cooked through, about 10 minutes. If you would like me to record your own personal video on how to make a healthy version of your favorite meal, just click the link here.  I offer cooking instructional videos as an à la carte package or as part of the gold package with eight wellness coaching sessions. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, feel free to email me on my contact page, at Healing Outside the Box.

It's common knowledge that fiber is good for us, but what does it do, and how does it improve our cholesterol levels? Today I will journey through our gastrointestinal tract to answer these questions. The American Heart Association, along with the NIH, published its annual report on the stats for heart attacks and strokes as relates to diet, exercise, and other lifestyle factors. Their lengthy report can be found here.   This Cleveland Clinic article gets into specifics about soluble versus insoluble fiber in the importance of both types of fiber. Fiber feeds our gut microorganisms, and this has been a frequent topic of mine. You may want to listen to episode 223  and episode 229 if you'd like to take control of your gut microorganisms. Feel free to contact me on my website contact page, which is Healing outside the box.  

When you see a study that claims that smoking can cause cancer, have you ever wondered how they could get laboratory rats to puff on those cigarettes? When you hear that eating a lot of carrots will turn your skin orange, have you ever wondered what sucker figured that out the hard way? Well, wonder no more because today we are talking about diet and nutrition studies. Or more specifically, what works and what doesn't. But first, last week I discussed eating tips to slow down climate change and I wanted to add a reference. There is a webcast called "menus of change" and it can be found here. There's also a great documentary called "the need to grow" that tackles this subject beautifully. As for today's topic, there is a summing-up article that does a good job describing the different factors involved in determining a valid research claim. That article can be found here. As always, if you have any questions about the episode or would like to hire yourself a nutritionist or wellness coach, feel free to get in touch with me on my website contact page, which can be found here.

An article in The Guardian got me thinking about how we might translate idealistic goals about what to eat to reduce climate change into breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So in this episode, I get into different ways we can do our part to cut down on greenhouse gases and reduce water usage. Could this be as simple as eating more from column A and less from column B? The British have started an organization called The National Food Strategy and they will be updating us soon with advice and tips. There is also a podcast episode that I found interesting on this topic. It can be found here. There are a couple of articles I mentioned on regenerative aquaculture. The first is an NIH article that gives an overview of regenerative agriculture. The second is a newsletter that describes how regenerative agriculture works. An overall review article on sustainable diets can be found here. As always, if you have any questions about this episode or would like to hire a nutritionist/health coach to help you sort all of this out, please email me on my website contact page, which is at Healing Outside the Box.  

Do endurance athletes really need a lot of extra protein, or do they just need a lot of extra calories? This week we take a look at several high-protein powders on the market to build muscle and improve performance. As always, if you have any questions or would like to hire a nutritionist, please contact me on my website contact page, which is Healing outside the box.com.

Since many of us are using these protein/calorie supplement drinks for a quick meal or a complement to weight training, I decided to take a second look at them. If you have any questions or would like to work with a nutritionist/wellness coach to reach your wellness goals, feel free to email me on my website contact page. 

Yes, cross-addiction with food is possible. But thanks to some exciting new research, there may be something we can do about it. If you feel that you need some assistance or just support on your journey, you can hire me as your health and wellness coach! Just email me here, on my Healing Outside The Box website, and I will get back to you. If you are the least bit hesitant about what this wellness coach business is all about, I can offer you a free 30-minute session so you can dip your toes in the water and see how it feels!

Not only is cross-addiction with food possible, but it can go both ways. That is the bad news. But the good news is that there is something we can do about it.  One of the 2 experts I mentioned was Dr Neil Barnard. The interview I quoted can be found here.   Dr. Pamela Peake also has many videos on this topic. I referred to this video in my episode, but she has other videos and a book on this topic called "The hunger fix". I did a slideshow of historic Salem with my pictures that I referred to in this episode. You can find that here.

Welcome to part 2 of my series on the possibility of treating autistic symptoms with broccoli sprouts. This week we put theory into practice with some tips about how to prepare broccoli and broccoli sprouts in a form on the kitchen table that children with autism might eat. After all, even Pres. George H.W. Bush didn't like to eat his broccoli. But when it comes to sprouts, we can chop them finely or blend them, and in that way, hide them in the food. But before we get to hiding it in our food, it bears repeating that sulforaphane found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables is a potent anti-oxidant that appears to fight oxidative damage to our cells. There is strong evidence for sulforaphane battling rapidly growing cancer cells, preventing the aging of cells, and possibly fighting off whatever it is that is responsible for the symptoms of autism. There is a great article that gets into details about sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts in terms of its overall benefits. That article can be found here. This topic is near and dear to my heart because I happened to be one of those weird kids who no one seemed to have an explanation for. I didn't speak until I was about six years old. I wouldn't answer to my name, I ate only a tuna sandwich for lunch every day for two years, and I would often rock in a rocking chair for 3 or 4 straight hours. Now that I am more or less considered "normal", I've become obsessed about why I was the way I was. Is it possible that I am not alone? Probably. By helping kids with autism get better, we can all learn so much from them about how we can treat everyone on the autistic spectrum. I plan on coming up with my own recipes to hide these broccoli sprouts. So if you want me to email the recipes to you, just send me a note on my website contact page, at Healing Outside the box.

If anyone ever told you to eat your broccoli, the proof of its benefits has finally arrived. Today we are discussing the multiple reasons why antioxidants, like those found in broccoli, would be a good idea. The National Institute of Health (NIH) has put out a few remarkable journal articles looking into the evidence that one particular substance called sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts) can counteract the harmful effects of cellular damage. The article that sparked a lot of interest in sulforaphane particularly was put out by NIH and it can be found here.  Another NIH article defines oxidative stress and lists the risk factors that cause this stress. Not surprisingly, it has a lot to do with the American diet and typical cell-damaging risk factors like smoking, x-rays, and excessive alcohol. That article can be found here. This NIH article connects the dots between large amounts of oxidative stress and the development of many chronic diseases, such as heart attacks, strokes, cancer, diabetes, and now autism. But help is on the way because scientists have now shown evidence that both cancer and autism have improved with daily broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts just happened to have a large amount of a powerful antioxidant called sulforaphane.  Could that be possible? It certainly could and right now it seems to be the case. I will finish my two-part series on this topic next week with some tips and recipes to add more of this miracle substance into our dietary plan. If you have any questions or would like to suggest topics for future episodes, feel free to contact me on my website contact page: Healing Outside the Box.  

In part 3 of this 3-part series, I humbly attempt to put this GMO controversy into some perspective with two stories about the unintended consequences of manipulating genes in a plant seed. The first story, from Roundup to dicamba, describes the ability of weeds to become resistant to one weedkiller (roundup) and then the following weedkiller (dicamba). The resulting superweeds are more difficult to kill even with higher and higher doses of these herbicides. The answer was to bring back the active ingredient in Agent Orange, a deadly herbicide used to clear the jungles of Vietnam during the war. The NIH article I discussed can be found here. The second story involves what old-timers call the BT corn controversy. BT stands for a bacteria in the Bacillus family that naturally carries an insect-killing gene that produces a deadly protein (for beetles, anyway). But what about honeybees and Monarch butterflies? There is a publication that talks about the indirect consequences of trying to kill one animal without harming another animal. Hint: it didn't work. And then they created resistant "superbugs". That publication can be found here. As always, If you have any questions about this or other nutrition-related information, feel free to contact me on my website contact page: Healing Outside the Box. I love hearing from you! I offer one-on-one nutrition counseling online for anyone who is looking for some self-care and would like some support to eat healthier and reduce stress. You can reach me on my Wellness coaching page at Healing outside the box.

In part 2 of this 3-part series, I discuss more information about where we are with this genetic modification business, focusing on fish and animals today.  But first I announce that GMO labeling is becoming "a thing"  and the mandatory law goes into effect in January 2022. The link to the actual law can be found here. This article in Nature discussed the genetic modification of Glofish Tetras and ZebraFish.   As always, if you have any questions about this episode or would like to offer suggestions for future episodes, feel free to email me on my contact page, which is parked at "Healing outside the box".

I bet you're confused when you hear things like "GMO food is the science of the future." And then you turn around and hear "GMO food causes cancer." Can both people be right? The oversimplified answer is that GMO food is neither good nor bad. It depends on why the food is being genetically modified. And who is doing the modifying. I am going to attempt to do some splainin' today. There is an article put out by "nature" that defines some terms and explains why we might want to genetically modify plants and animals. That article can be found here. Could problems arise when corporations confuse product improvement with profit improvement? You bet. This article describes how canola oil (normally a healthy oil that is higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids) has now been modified to contain much more saturated fatty acids. It now resembles palm oil (an unhealthy oil), which was done to increase the stable shelf life of snack foods. Until now, there was no way of knowing what these food manufacturers had done. But help is on the way in the form of mandatory labeling for GMO foods. This Journal of nutrition article looks into the beneficial results of having the ability to add iron or vitamin A to a low nutrient, but inexpensive, staple like rice. As always, if you have any questions about this topic, or would be interested in hiring a nutritionist to improve your healthy eating habits, feel free to contact me on my website contact page.  

Have you or someone you know been told that they have irritable bowel syndrome? You may have been too embarrassed to ask your healthcare provider what it's all about. Although I always recommend that you seek medical attention if you have any G.I. symptoms, it may help to break it all down and define a few terms. Inflammatory bowel disease and irritable bowel syndrome are actually 2 separate conditions. Inflammatory bowel disease normally covers 2 common diseases where the symptoms are pretty similar. They are Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. A pretty descriptive article about these 2 diseases can be found here. Irritable bowel syndrome is the diagnosis that doctors usually land on when other diseases (Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease) have been ruled out. It is generally speaking, not as severe as those diseases, but people suffering from IBS can be pretty measurable. The dietary treatments usually center around trying to relieve the symptoms. This is usually done with a diet low in fermentable carbohydrates. More information can be found here. Once the symptoms subside, a high fiber diet with as many organics as possible is the usual dietary recommendation. Whether you have inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome, alcohol can make matters worse. Here is an interesting NIH article that gets into the details about what alcohol can do to the lining of your gut. If you have any questions about this episode or would like to make suggestions for future episodes, I would love to hear from you! You can email me on my website contact page, which is Healing Outside the Box.

Every now and again I take a break from my usual episode content and launch into storytelling. Today I have a couple of stories for you. The first is called "The grand betrayal" and it's about an incident that happened with 2 of my personal care attendants and myself. We all collided and made a hot mess out of things. The second is called "my glass-half-empty just turned upside down." This is a slightly more upbeat story about being hopeful about an effective treatment for my disease, only to have my hopes dashed, and then coming around to seeing things with a bigger lens.