Healing Outside The Box

After a long pause (sorry about that), I thought I do an episode on supplements as I have had questions about how to build up your immune system with them. Can you boost your immune system by adding supplements to your diet? Well yes and no. Or it depends. But because there are so darn many of these supplements, I thought I would take them one at a time. In alphabetical order. Quite frankly I can't strain my brain to come up with something creative. Obviously this will the multiple episodes because again, there are so many of these supplements.  If you have any questions about a particular substance, don't hesitate to reach out to me on my website contact page, which is on Healing outside the Box.com. 

It seems that many of us are some combination of bored and crazy right now. But, as I like to say, there is often two ways to look at things. One of the best stress relievers for people who like gardening is, in fact, gardening. And yes, it is possible to start our gardens indoors and then get out and plant some vegetables and herbs when they are ready, like us, to get out there. So this is an episode about general tips on what vegetables and herbs are okay to grow or start indoors. I first talk about ways to get involved in community gardens and specific programs in your community. In Massachusetts, we have a program (Mass in motion) that has all kinds of education programs around planting vegetables and eating healthy foods. Their website can be found here. You can sometimes call your City Hall to find out what's going on in your area. The edible schoolyards project has a bunch of cool videos and PDFs, as well as tips to start your own garden. This YouTube video will show you how to start basil plants from

Now that we're all hunkered down with our loved ones in various stages of quarantine, it might be a good time to think about cooking some new and interesting meals. So today I thought I would revisit an episode from last year on putting the Mediterranean diet theory into practice. But before I got into the nutritional info, I mentioned a few relaxation or meditation apps and videos that are out there. One of them is called the calm app and it can be found here. There is a 12-minute Zen-type music video with lotus flowers right here. There is a live streaming easy listening jazz instrumental channel that can be found here.  This is one-hour of peaceful piano music. This is the guided imagery meditation video that is nice.  In this episode, I mentioned a four-part series on possibly treating or even preventing Alzheimer's disease with dietary measures. They are episodes 158, 159, 160, and 161. In another episode, I asked the question "Is there a possible link between Alzheimer's disease and cardiovascular d

Today I have a conversation with Tara Agaba, who is the communications and outreach coordinator at Jane Doe Inc. Jane Doe Inc. is the Massachusetts coalition against sexual assault and domestic violence. Their website is healingtrauma.janedoe.org. Tara manages Jane Doe's social media, newsletter, and websites. She provides support and resources for people who are particularly vulnerable due to the Stay At Home rules that leave survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence at risk. Tara mentions a few resources that she shared with us. You can visit their website, which is janedoe.org   One of Jane Doe's projects is the Healing Trauma resources website. The resources can be found at healingtrauma.janedoe.org. You can email Jane Doe Inc. here.  If you are looking for help in your area, check out this link. You can also try SafeLink in the Massachusetts area. You can locate their website here. Their number is 1-877-785-2020. The deaf/blind national hotline is 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). The videophone is 1-855-812

Today I review a great new miniseries called "What's eating America". It is on MSNBC and all 5 episodes are available now. Before I jump into the review, I remind us all that local food pantries like The open door and international organizations like Doctors Without borders need our help right now. Low-income people with children are no longer getting free school lunches if they are out of school because of the coronavirus. Resources are even more scarce in other countries and need our help. If you are interested in online Health and Wellness Coaching, feel free to contact me at my healing outside the box contact page for details.

Is there a role to play for healthy eating, sufficient sleep, and stress reduction when it comes to fighting off a serious case of coronavirus? If it seems like that deserves a common sense "yes!" answer, then you would be correct. I mentioned that I was getting this material from the CDC website and the WHO website. These two websites have lots of accurate information.

whenever there are so many studies linking the beneficial effects to one particular thing in our diet that they are too numerous to count, there's probably a "There there". Such is the case with naturally fermented dairy and pickled vegetables. We refer to them as probiotics. But what are probiotics exactly? The NIH has an excellent article explaining, in general terms, what they are and how they affect us. It can be found here.  Here is another NIH article that discusses how these beneficial microorganisms from fermentation can improve our general health. In this article, Lactobacillus plantarum was found to be effective in fighting off a biological toxin in an in-vitro study. A strain of Lactobacillus gasseri was tested in overweight subjects and found to be effective for losing a small amount of weight in a double-blind study. That article can be found here. bifidobacterium may have beneficial effects as well. Preliminary studies have shown that this bacteria may decrease the number of cancer cells in the

In recent years the art of beer making and winemaking have turned into the food science of fermented beverages. Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Well, that all depends on what you're looking for. It is theorized that the fermenting of beverages has gone on for 5000 to 7000 years. But over the past 50 years, we are now using pH meters, temperature gauges, huge stainless steel vats, and microscopes to give us a precise idea of what species we are growing. The conditions that are ideal for that species of yeast and bacteria will produce a more consistent product. But will the industrial mass production of fermented beverages result in compromising quality for cost?  As it usually does, the decision will rest with us when we make choices to buy or not to buy based on both quality and price. You can now reach me either on my website contact page or my new feature, tawk.to.  If I am currently offline, click on the lower right-hand corner envelope and you can send me a message to text you at some future time. If

We throw around the terms probiotic and prebiotic like they are the yin and Yang of food microorganisms. Actually, they are complementary but not similar in nature. Today I define the terms and discuss how we can best utilize what we know about the positive effects of both, working together. I mentioned a small NIH study that discusses the health benefits of combining different strains of beneficial bacteria and yeast with foods that they can feed on. That article can be found here. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, feel free to contact me on my contact webpage, which is Healingoutsidethebox.com/contact-us.

If the thought of getting Alzheimer's disease at a relatively young age sends a shiver up your spine, you are not alone. We all want to age gracefully, but there is nothing graceful about the horrible effects of Alzheimer's disease and debilitating heart disease. But are they related somehow? Today I look at this question by looking at what several studies have to tell us. The article that got me thinking about this was actually a short video by Dr. Michael Gregor. You can find that video here.  I recently did a 4 episode series on Alzheimer's disease: the symptoms, the pathology, and what dietary or lifestyle factors we can do now to prevent or slow the progression. The episodes are 158, 159, 160, and 161. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions for new topics, feel free to email me on my website contact page. Happy new year, everyone!

The two words you seldom hear together in the healthcare field are dietitians and respect. Why is that, exactly? Is it because dietitians happen to be one of the few exclusively female professions? I believe so. It is ironic, though, because most of the hospital beds in any given hospital are filled with people who have diet-related health problems. What can we do about this? Plenty, as it turns out. I want to encourage everyone who cares about our obesity and diabetes healthcare crisis to listen to the podcast and write to me with your suggestions about changing our healthcare system to one that is focused on the prevention of these chronic diseases. You can send me a note on my website contact page, which is healingoutsidethebox.com/contact-us

Just when you thought your head would explode if you hear about another syndrome on a TV ad for a new drug... There is actually a new syndrome to talk about. This is actually a combination of 5 conditions that are commonplace in our society right now. It's called metabolic syndrome. If we have 3 out of the 5 conditions, then we have drawn the short straw and technically have metabolic syndrome. But fear not! Metabolic syndrome is preventable; and if you have it, treatable. There are some journal articles that I discussed related to metabolic syndrome. The first compares the relationship of these conditions to gallstones or gallbladder disease. The NIH review of the literature can be found here. The obesity/sleep apnea relationship is reported in this NIH article. Dr Michael Gregor, in this 4-minute video, evaluates population studies comparing people following the diabetic diet plan versus people on a primarily plant-based diet. As always, feel free to ask questions or suggest topics for future episodes on

I imagine that you've heard a lot of different things about shingles and you're worried that you don't know what to believe. The message of this particular episode is that "hold true to your natural instincts and trust those beliefs". If you suddenly see a rash on one side of your body that itches or burns, and you sense that it might be shingles; seek medical care immediately and don't be afraid to bring up the subject of shingles. There is an excellent web MD article about the increased incidence of shingles in middle-aged and even younger people. You can read this article here. A Canadian journalist described her personal story with her shingles outbreak. You can find the article here. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) jumped on the bandwagon and compiled some research studies regarding the increase in rates and change in presentation. The article can be found here. As always, if you have any questions about this or other podcast episodes, feel free to contact me on my website contact page, which

Anyone who is considering having bypass surgery for weight loss may want to weigh the pros and cons before making such a commitment. Today I'll discuss some of the benefits and risks involved. However, I recommend having an ongoing dialogue with your physician if you're thinking about moving forward with it. Your physician may also recommend that you speak to another specialist before making your decision. I mentioned BMI, or body mass index, as an approximate way to determine the line between overweight and obese. This NIH webpage explains BMI and allows you to calculate your own. If you have any questions about the nutritional consequences of gastric bypass surgery, feel free to contact me on my website contact page.

Do you really need your gut microbiota? Well, yes you do. But please continue to read and listen because it may surprise you that we seriously cannot live without our invisible friends. I first go through some definitions about microbiome versus microbiota and regurgitate an article from the Harvard Magazine. That article (that will give you a detailed overview) can be found here. The National Institute of Health put out a great article that captures the importance of our gut microorganisms and how it relates to the maintenance of our own health. That article can be found here. Another Harvard Magazine article talks about the future of health maintenance with regard to something called "precision nutrition". That article can be found here. As always, if you have any questions or would like to suggest topics for future episodes, feel free to email me on my website contact page.

Now that the symptoms of acid reflux, or GERD, affect about 60 million Americans at least occasionally... Should we be familiar with the ways to possibly prevent it? I think so. So I devoted an entire episode to this excruciatingly boring subject. If you want to read up on the causes and treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease, this WebMD article provides a good overview of the subject. There are many diet and lifestyle factors that can improve our heartburn pain dramatically. One of the lifestyle factors that can affect symptoms of acid reflux is adequate sleep. I devoted the previous episode here on how to avoid sleep deprivation. As always, if you have any questions or comments... Feel free to write me on my website contact page, healing outside the.com.

We all know that lack of sleep can make us grumpy and foggy headed. But new research is suggesting that it has an impact on our overall health and our weight. There is an interesting study published by the national Institute of health (NIH) that links sleep deprivation to weight gain in both children and adults. The study can be found here. Another study that looks at sleep patterns related to what and when we eat can be found here. An epidemiological study that looked at short duration sleep and the impact it has on our food intake can be found here. Sleep deprivation has also been linked to insulin resistance and diabetes. That NIH article can be found here. The National Academy of Sciences looked at decreasing energy expenditure (less calories burned) in sleep deprived people in this article. If you would like to weigh in on your thoughts about this issue, feel free to comment or ask questions on my website contact page.

This week I bring us all up to date on where Monsanto's Roundup (or should I say Bayer's roundup) went to all of a sudden. The answer is... That they are up to so much that it is giving me a big headache. So I started at the beginning and I reviewed a chronological history of how the Roundup weed killer started out so innocently killing dandelions and is now killing children. As it turns out, like just about everything else, it's all dose-related. And we are all getting a dose of Roundup with our typical American diet. I mention a few articles that speak to both the science and the pending civil lawsuits. The first one is a Bloomberg article discussing the $2 billion civil class-action lawsuit, that was reduced 90% by a judge last week. The article can be found here. A study published by the National Institute of Health (NIH) measured the concentration of glyphosate in both farmworkers and their children. They found that 65% of farm workers and 12% of their children had toxic levels of the active ingredient

Today I open up a can of worms and discuss the possibility that we may be at risk of developing a leaky brain as well as a leaky gut. If you would like to review previous episodes on leaky gut, here are a few: episode 165 episode 166 episode 122 as always, if you have any questions or suggestions for new episode topics, feel free to email me on my website, Healing outside the Box.

There's a pretty good chance that you've heard the phrase "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" and didn't pay much attention to it. With all of the chronic ailments that we now associate with our low fiber/high fat/high sugar American diet, perhaps we should start paying attention to it sooner rather than later. This episode is devoted to the many benefits of fresh fruits. And I get to it as soon as I finish my story about meeting Paula Poundstone. She could very well be my favorite funny person! There are a couple of journal articles that I mentioned in the episode.The first is a peer-reviewed article put out by the national Institute of health, or NIH. It's called "dietary energy density and body weight in adults and children: a systematic review". It can be found here.  There was another study called "dietary strategies for weight management". It can be found here. As always, if you have any questions or would like to suggest topics for future episodes, you're free to contact me on my website contact pag