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Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
82 written by Dr. Frank Lipman in Nutrition
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Feb 20, 2023 · NutritionDon’t Let Sugar Hurt You: Here’s How A Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor Can Help
Wearable health technology has come of age, giving us a window into the working of our bodies. It represents an important step in taking control of your health – and away from Big Pharma and putting it, whenever possible, where it belongs – in your hands. One such personalized device: continuous glucose monitors or CGMs. Though they’ve been available for diabetics for about twenty years, now, ever-more refined models are attracting the interest of healthy, health-savvy customers who are using them to help ensure they never cross the line into pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes – a wise idea if ever there was one.
Feb 13, 2023 · NutritionNot-so-Healthy “Health Foods”
Here’s my round up of unhealthy foods most commonly mistaken for the ones that actually can do your body good.
Oct 31, 2022 · Nutrition7 Thoughts on Why You Really Must Kick the Cocktail Habit
If, like millions of other adults, your alcohol consumption’s crept up during the pandemic and stayed there, it’s time to take a very hard look at the uncomfortable truth: the stuff’s gotta go.While drinking more than usual was an understandable if dysfunctional default during those stressful months of concern and uncertainty, for many, much of that extra-to-excessive drinking has continued unabated even as the pandemic has waned – so I’m here to remind you that the metaphorical party needs to end.
Oct 3, 2022 · Nutrition5 Thoughts on How Alcohol Bangs Up Your Gut Microbiome
The truth is, any kind of alcohol consumption brings with it the specter of organ damage, as well as issues of physiological and psychological dependency. Not surprisingly, alcohol’s also rotten for your gut microbiome too, that health-sustaining bacterial garden you should be protecting at all costs. So, what happens to your gut when you drink alcohol? Plenty – and here’s why you need to keep your alcohol intake to an absolute minimum.
Aug 22, 2022 · Nutrition8 Ways to Upgrade Health Fast with Leafy Greens
If we want to live a long and healthy life, wholesome foods – as in, no processed or sugar-packed crap – are non-negotiable. Problem is, when life/work/kids/travel etc. get in the way, eating well can sometimes take a backseat. But the good news is that it’s easy to radically upgrade your diet almost instantly, with almost no extra effort. The secret is leafy greens and lots of them, preferably organic or fresh from the farmers’ market. Think of them as nature’s vibrant health elixir and I urge you to indulge.
Aug 15, 2022 · Nutrition8 Reasons Why You Need to Focus on Maximizing Omega 3s
When it comes to protecting your health, not all fats are created equal. At the top of the health pinnacle are the omega-3 fatty acids, a key member of the omega fatty acid family which also includes the omega-6s. All of them are polyunsaturated fats. All are considered essential fatty acids, that is, we need them to survive but our bodies don’t produce them so we have to consume them in our diet. Omega-3s have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and omega-6s, a pro-inflammatory effect. And we need both types – but the proper balance is the difference between a healthy future and a diseased one.
Jul 4, 2022 · Nutrition4 Benefits of Bitters – and 4 Ways to Put them to Work
As we age, so do our digestive systems and our natural production of the digestive enzymes necessary for the proper breakdown of food decreases. As a result, healthy digestion suffers, which can trigger inflammation, allergic reactions and a host of gut troubles. But one of the easiest ways to stem the tide is by ‘getting bitter with it’ – as in start working few key bitter treats into your diet to help stimulate digestion and the release of digestive enzymes, all without a whole lot of extra effort.
Jun 13, 2022 · Nutrition5 Ways Quercetin Can Help Protect Your Heart, Brain, Immunity – And Longevity
If the last two plus years have taught us anything, it’s that a strong immune system makes all the difference in the world, sometimes, literally, the difference between life and death. Among the many immunity-supporting habits I’ve discussed over the years, getting more quercetin into your system has to be one of the easiest, yet it’s often overlooked. To protect yourself against what ever comes next, your best defense against whatever comes next is a strong offense – and quercetin is a smart and simple way to help keep your immunity tank topped up.
Jun 6, 2022 · Nutrition12 Clues To Help Decode Egg Carton Labels – And Get The Good Stuff!
An egg is an egg is an egg – or is it? Not that long ago, buying a dozen eggs was a pretty simple affair. You went to the store, opened the lid to check for any breakage, paid for the carton and were on your way. Fast forward a few decades and eggs have gotten, well, a bit complicated -- eggs in all sorts of grades, categories and colors, with egg cartons featuring labels so elaborate, even a food scientist might need a moment to figure out exactly which ones to buy. How to source the best, healthiest possible? Here are a few pointers to keep in mind next time you’re stocking up.
Mar 4, 2022 · Nutrition16-Hour Fast FAQ
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about fasting.
Feb 28, 2022 · Nutrition6 Delicious, Nutritious Benefits of Dark Chocolate
Chocolate – ancient Mesoamerican civilizations considered it a ‘food of the gods,’ and as a major chocolate fan myself, I’m inclined to agree. The taste of chocolate is so appealing that for most people, finding additional reasons to indulge on the regular hardly seems necessary. But beyond the taste is its overlooked superpower: it’s actually good for you, in all sorts of ways. How to tap into its deliciously medicinal charms? Some food for thought on the world’s most beloved food.
Feb 11, 2022 · NutritionWhat To Think About When It Comes To Faux Meat
Many meat replacement products are junky, because they’re heavily processed and contain a lot of questionable ingredients: genetically modified soy, canola oil, sunflower oil, yeast extract, unspecified “flavors,” modified food starch—the list goes on.
Jan 10, 2022 · Nutrition6 Ways Polyphenols Will Make Your Health Soar
By now, everybody knows that eating veggies and low-sugar fruits is a health no-brainer for many reasons. But you may not appreciate one of the most important – getting your daily dose of mission critical polyphenols. These extra special compounds can supercharge just about every aspect of your health and missing out on them can have serious consequences. And while I always recommend eating the good stuff – as in whole, unprocessed, organic or farmers’ market versions – as we head into the new year, I encourage everyone to redouble their efforts to fill up on foods – particularly those rich in polyphenols – to fortify and protect your body at every meal.
Nov 8, 2021 · Nutrition7 Ways to Let Go of Artificial Sweeteners — and Why You Must!
Millions of people who are hooked on the sweet stuff often turn to non-sugar, ‘non-nutritive’ artificial sweeteners to enable them to have their cake and eat it too, so to speak. Not a wise move. In fact, most, if not all, of the chemical sweeteners out there are as just as rotten for your body as sugar, only in different ways. Swapping one bad habit (sugar) for another (fake stuff) can make cravings worse, mess with your microbiome and even damage your brain. Now, that’s a lousy trade-off! In short, nobody should be using artificial sweeteners and I encourage you to redline them (and sugar, too) without delay.
Oct 18, 2021 · Nutrition4 Excellent Oils to Embrace – and 7 to Kick to the Curb
For years, I’ve encouraged my patients to cook at home as often as possible so you’re in charge of your healthy eating, the ingredients and most importantly, their quality. Even if you’re not Top Chef material, when you stick to fresh, whole, unprocessed, organic and farmers’ market offerings, it’s hard to go wrong. Unless that is, you’re cooking with the wrong oils. They can damage your health just as the right ones can enhance it, so it’s essential to select the right oil for the job.
Aug 30, 2021 · Nutrition7 Ways to Shop Like a Chef for Optimal Health
As I often say, the difference between people who eat well every day and those who don’t, is that one group makes shopping a nonnegotiable part of their routine. In other words, your food matters, so grab a cart or tote, and when you shop, be it at the farmers’ market or the supermarket, put your chef’s hat on. The idea is to cook what you buy with care. Even if you’re not an amazing cook, don’t race through the market like your cart’s on fire. Take your time – approach food shopping as a kind of mindfulness exercise rather than a chore.
Aug 23, 2021 · Nutrition6 Ways to Eat and Enjoy More Fats – and Ditch Low, No and Faux Fat – for Good!
If your diet is clean, lean and mean, well, good for you – to a point. But if it’s also this side of fat-free then I urge you to please fatten up your diet! Contrary to what your elders may have told you – and what the medical establishment has been espousing for the past 50 years or so – eating a diet full of low-fat processed Frankenfoods as a fat workaround, is not the ticket to health.
Aug 2, 2021 · Nutrition7 Ways Olives Can Help Keep You Healthy, Young and Energetic
Got olives? If not, I encourage you to start weaving these versatile, ancient fruits into your repertoire.
Jul 12, 2021 · NutritionSafe, Not Sorry: 5 Health-Saving Reasons Why You Need to Embrace the Precautionary Principle and Ditch GMOs
When it comes to our health, regulation usually lags behind common sense. How long did it take us to label cigarettes dangerous? To require seatbelts in cars? To squash nasty stuff like trans fats? It’s astonishing to think about what wasn’t on our society’s precautionary radar as recently as just a decade or two ago.
Jul 5, 2021 · NutritionBecome a Chocolate Connoisseur – 9 Ways to Do it Right
Chocolate is one treat that I have few qualms prescribing. When done right, high-quality dark chocolate is akin to a bittersweet multivitamin, capable of reducing oxidative stress (a root cause of illness and aging), countering inflammation, lowering blood pressure, boosting mental focus and cognitive longevity. Score! The secret of this stuff the ancient Mesoamericans called ‘food of the gods’ is its key nutrient-rich ingredient, cacao.
Jun 28, 2021 · NutritionEffortlessly Upgrade Summertime Health with 7 Tasty Herbal Teas
Everyone loves a good health hack and one of my favorites is tea. While black, green, white and red teas have numerous benefits and are great ways to start the day, herbal teas have loads of pluses too, and no caffeine, so they won’t keep you up at night, no matter when you imbibe. Teas under the herbal umbrella -- made from flowers, dried fruits, spices and herbs -- are rich in antioxidant polyphenols which can help reduce the risk for chronic disease. We’re all for that.
Jun 11, 2021 · NutritionWho Owns Your Healthy Food?
Here are the five Big Food conglomerates that own some of your favorite "natural" or organic brands.
May 24, 2021 · Nutrition4 Reasons to Dive into Sustainable Sardines
Your body loves fish, and all the benefits they confer, but there are ethical and ecological concerns that come along for the ride as well. As with most things, it’s best to weigh the options carefully, and buy consciously, the healthiest, highest quality fish available.
Feb 1, 2021 · NutritionHow to Kick Sugar Off Your Plate and Out of Your Life
When you cut out sugar – whether by going cold turkey or by tapering off – all sorts of wonderful health changes begin to kick in almost immediately. You’ll start feeling the difference within a matter of days. So, if you want to feel better, look better and age better in 2021, now’s the time to break up with the sweet stuff.