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Category Archives: Alcohol
Sugar and Alcohol: Your Liver Can’t Tell The Difference
Dr. David Unwin, Fellow of the Royal College of General Practitioners (FRCGP) together with fellow researchers recently completed a study showing low carb diets significantly reduce fatty liver, weight and blood sugar. Trialing a low carb approach over a year, they found rapid improvements in liver function among other positive effects. “My interest in abnormal liver, and particularly GGT blood results began when I noticed that in our family practice of 9,000 patients well over a 1,000 had an abnormal GGT result,” said Dr. Unwin. “I could predict which patients would have lost weight -before they came into my consulting…
Are Sugary Drinks Killing Your Liver?
Everyone knows that increased sugar intake increases your risk for type 2 diabetes and obesity. The consumer market competes daily on how to cater to the average individual’s sweet tooth. In a society that loves the indulgence of super-sized drinks, it becomes easy to fall prey. Given the metabolism and breakdown of sugar takes place in the liver, it is no surprise excess sugar intake can lead to major liver problems. According to a recent study conducted at Tufts University, and published in the Journal of Hepatology, drinking sugary drinks daily puts you at risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.1…
Foods to Eat to Repel Mosquitoes and Other Critters That Bug Us
There’s nothing more annoying than having a mosquito buzzing around-and-around your ear while you’re trying to fall asleep or swatting flies away during what would otherwise have been an enjoyable outdoor summer dinner in the backyard. But why does it seem that these pesky little critters tend to bug some of us more than others? Turns out, it’s not all random. Factors that may impact the probability of getting bitten include:1 1. What you’re wearing. Dr. Jonathan Day, professor of medical entomology at the University of Florida, suggests if you dress in dark colors you stand out against the horizon…
Modern Caveman? How Paleo is Beer and Mead?
Is there room for a pint of beer on the Paleo diet now and again? Are there any occasions where a brew can make a surprise appearance? And, how about mead? Let’s start with some definitions. The Beer Academy defines beer as having barley, hops, water and yeast.1 With two out of four failing to stay true to strict Paleo guidelines, the resulting beverage can’t be suitable either. Even gluten free beers are grain-based; all grains, rich in anti-nutrients and quite helpful in promoting leaky gut syndrome, are one of the key things to be avoided on a Paleo diet.…
Paleo’s Promising Effects on Menstrual Cramps, PMS, and PMDD
“I’m cranky when I have my period; I feel awful and I just want to stay home in bed.” “I have such horrible cramps during my time of the month which puts me so on edge, I can’t stand to be around anyone. Every little thing drives me nuts!” Do these sound familiar? No need to be sheepish, it’s more common than you think! In fact, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists estimates that at least 85% of menstruating women have at least one PMS symptom as part of their monthly cycle, and most of these women have fairly…
Getting Fatter and Fatter: The Psychology of Eating
What we eat is determined by how we feel. But what we feel is partially determined by what we eat.1, 2, 3 This paradoxical catch-22 is doubly important because of the obesity pandemic which we currently find ourselves in.4, 5 Clearly, there is a great psychological disruption from the obvious paradigm of eating healthy foods, which help us to feel good and keep us on a healthy path.6, 7 And the mere fact that that issue is so largely affecting so many of us, means that there must be a lot more to this issue. When we eat vegetables, like…
Paleo Diets Proven Therapeutic to Multiple Sclerosis Patients
Professor Cordain, My wife was recently diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). I found the lecture you gave funded by Direct MS on the Paleo diet. My wife has already started the Paleo diet. At the time, it seemed like all the evidence for excluding tomatoes wasn’t in yet. Are you now certain tomatoes should be excluded from the diets of those with MS? What about other vegetables with lectins like peppers and eggplant? Any new research I’d be interested in reading? Have you ever heard of a study done on rats that uses pulsed calcitriol as a treatment for MS.…
Balancing Migraine Pain with a Paleo Diet
As a migraine sufferer, I was all too excited several years ago when the local hospital hosted an expert panel on migraine remedies which included diet. The 45 minute presentation covered the basic physiology, briefly mentioned chocolate and alcohol, and then spent the bulk of the time on medications – Aspirin, Excederin, Midrin, and Fioricet. During the Q&A I asked about omega-3 PUFAs since they are known to inhibit COX-2. One expert replied that she was unaware of any research on PUFAs or COX-2 for migraine. I appreciated her congenial reply, but sat down disappointed. Most of the medication identified…
Top 10 Paleo Foods for Heart Health
One of the things I love most about a True Paleo regime is being able to enjoy so many of the foods I used to think were unhealthy choices. And despite diet trends coming and going, many people get caught up with some of the less healthy versions along with the inaccurate hype that tends to surround them. Some of the foods I now savor are ones I never would have dreamed of eating a mere decade ago, simply because I thought they were too high in fat (90’s mindset), didn’t provide enough carbohydrate (Endurance athlete? Go heavy on the…
Top 5 Eating Strategies to Prevent Holiday Weight Gain
The holiday season is upon us, a time when, for many people, eating healthy becomes more difficult while unhealthy foods become more tempting, a perfect storm for unwanted holiday weight gain. Here are some tips to keep those added pounds at bay. 1. OFFER A DISH Have you been invited to a dinner where you’re certain the healthy food choices will be few to none? Make a dish to share and make it a surprise. Don’t announce beforehand what you’re doing. Just show up with a beautiful Paleo dish, preferably a main course and enough for each guest to taste.…
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