Strong bones are essential for overall health and well-being, and there is a lot you can do to support better bone health. Here are some simple ways we encourage patients at our clinic to help their bones be their strongest and reduce the risk of osteoporosis:
​

• Nutrition & Supplements: A diet rich in whole unprocessed foods provides essential nutrients for bone health. Bone broth and fermented foods provide added benefit. Fermented dairy (yogurt and real cheeses) have been associated with better bone health while milk has not.​ Research has varied on the benefits of supplementing with just calcium. We recommend  a Standard Process supplement called Calcifood which is made from animal bone to provide a variety of nutrients and feed the whole bone complex. Vitamin D also helps your body absorb calcium and is important for bone health. Sunlight exposure or vitamin D supplements can help maintain a healthy level. Have vitamin D tested as part of your blood work to check your status.
• Weight-bearing Exercises & Vibration: Engage in activities that put healthy stress on your bones. Walking, running, dancing, and weightlifting are excellent options. These exercises help stimulate bone growth and density. Exercises that challenge balance also help reduce the risk of falls and fractures. Vibration therapy uses a special platform to increase the load on your bones as well. Non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming is great but does not help as much to strengthen your bones.
• Limit Alcohol and Tobacco: Excessive alcohol consumption and smoking can weaken bones. If you smoke, quitting is crucial for bone health.
• Use Caution with Medications: Some medications can interfere with bone health and should be discussed with your doctor. These may include steroids, hormones, acid reducers, high dose blood thinners, diuretics, and anti-convulsive medications.

By following these guidelines, you can take proactive steps to strengthen your bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis or bone injuries.

While a single bag of chips won't kill you, research confirms a diet high in ultra-processed foods is linked to a shorter lifespan. The latest study on these modern foods found their consumption is linked to a 10% or more reduction in lifespan when eaten regularly.

Whole or minimally processed foods are easily recognizable in a state like how they were grown. Ultra-processed foods are created from mixing chemical additives and substances extracted from foods. Examples of these foods are soft drinks, hot dogs, fast food, packaged baked goods and snacks.

The top three most common types of ultra-processed foods consumed were determined to be diet soft drinks, sugary soft drinks, and refined grains (breads and baked goods). With these making up the majority of ultra-processed food intake, it’s likely they are also doing the most damage to our health.

Ultra-processed foods impair our health in multiple ways. These include causing nutrient imbalances, increasing inflammation in the body, disrupting gut health and the microbiome, and displacing healthy whole foods.

The good news? Studies show that even small reductions in ultra-processed food intake can have a positive impact on health and longevity. So ditch the processed snacks and focus on a diet rich in whole foods for a longer, healthier life.

In a world obsessed with fad products and pills promoted by the latest social media stars, Dr. Aaron McMichael's "Eat Ugly" offers a refreshing take on achieving better health. This book isn't about chasing the latest superfood, spending hours at the gym, or finding a magic pill. Instead, Dr. McMichael offers a collection of 64 simple and memorable tips that enable readers to take control of their health.

"Eat Ugly" Teaches You To Take Control of Your Health

Dr. McMichael noted, “I wanted to write a book that was an enjoyable read without the medical jargon, and could empower people to take simple steps to make a big difference in improving their health. It’s time to recognize that our genes are often not the biggest determinant of health; our lifestyle choices are more important. The research is clear but 500 pages explaining it is unnecessary.”

It's encouraging to know that your health is not predetermined by your family genetics. You can make your health better or worse, and some simple changes can have a great impact. The rules in this book are organized into 7 categories to provide a comprehensive foundation of good habits: eating, activity, posture, stress, sleep, healthcare, and your environment.

Think Different About Health With "Eat Ugly"

The title itself, "Eat Ugly," encourages a shift in perspective. Forget about picture-perfect fruits and vegetables grown in a fog of agricultural chemicals. Produce grown without these chemical inputs may be smaller or have a blemish or scar, but are loaded with significantly more nutrients. Embrace these “ugly” fruits and veggies, and you will be rewarded with more health-promoting nutrition. Other tips similarly encourage readers to think differently when making choices that affect their health.

“I hope readers take advantage of what they can learn in a day and understand they have the tools to improve the health of their whole family right now,” stated Dr. McMichael. “Research supports common sense strategies that some have employed for generations. It’s important to highlight these and make them accessible in one place. And I tried to keep it fun and memorable.”

“Eat Ugly and Other Simple Tips to Improve Your Health” is a valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their health. Its focus on simple lifestyle changes provides a path to better health worth exploring. Find your copy on Amazon.com or stop in the clinic.

A study performed by Northwestern Sciences Health University demonstrated healthy changes for those following the Standard Process 28-day Detox Program compared to those who were only provided an educational session on healthy eating. The Standard Process Detox Program was associated with a significant increase in antioxidant activity, a decrease in oxidative stress, and improvement in scores for physical health and emotional health.

Our bodies come into increasing contact with chemicals inside and outside, which accumulate in our tissues and can contribute to health problems. Various reports have noted sources of chemicals ranging from our foods, to cosmetics and cleaners, city water, and furniture and electronic, among others. We are exposed to thousands of chemicals and many have been measured in the blood or urine of Americans. As this study states, "chronic exposure and improper clearance of these chemicals increase the body’s susceptibility to tissue injury and insufficient repair over time."

The whole food ingredients included in the Standard Process Detox Program included organic pea protein, flax meal, organic oat flour, organic pumpkin seed protein, organic buckwheat flour, organic beet (leaf) juice powder, organic buckwheat (aerial parts), apple pectin, juniper (berry) powder, organic Spanish black radish (root), burdock (root) powder, organic beet (root), calcium citrate, organic barley (grass), dandelion (leaf), broccoli (aerial parts), inositol, organic alfalfa (aerial parts) juice powder, Oregon grape (root) powder, globe artichoke (leaf), sunflower lecithin powder, milk thistle extract (80% silymarins), organic cordyceps mushroom powder, organic carrot, and organic sweet potato. Other ingredients included creatine, L-leucine, xanthan gum, L-isoleucine, L-valine, DL-methionine, monk fruit extract, and choline bitartrate.
​
The researchers looked at multiple markers of improvement to determine if the Standard Process Detox Program was potentially supporting the liver's ability to detox chemicals filtered from the circulatory system. The detox program was associated with a 40% increase in total antioxidant capacity only in those completing the program. This change correlated with an observed 13% decrease in oxidative stress. The program essentially helped protect the body from damaging free radicals by increasing phase II detoxification and antioxidant enzyme activity. When tested for established physical health and mental health indexes, the detox program participants also demonstrated a small increase in these measures for general health in just 28 days for subjects that were largely healthy to begin with.

The study demonstrated benefits of Standard Process Detox Program for supporting detoxification of foreign chemicals accumulating in the body. The whole food ingredients used were shown to cause no side effects while providing these benefits. Those considering a detox program to support better health, may want to consider a program like this that used whole food ingredients.

During busy times of the year with extra stress, nutritional and herbal support can help improve your body's resilience and minimize the impact of that stress. Ongoing high levels of stress can negatively affect your health in multiple ways, including the amplification of aches and pains with increased levels of inflammation. 

Two popular options for stress support we like to use with our patients include Standard Process' Drenamin and MediHerb's Adrenal Complex. Both of these can be used for short term or longer chronic stress to improve the body’s resilience to the demands of life.
​
Standard Process Drenamin

Drenamin is an adrenal function & energy production support supplement, with vitamins involved in production of neurotransmitters associated with emotional balance. The adrenal glands play an important role in the body's response to stress and Drenamin is designed to provide nutrients that support a well-functioning adrenal gland. A healthy stress response is beneficial for energy levels and mood. Drenamin includes nutrients from whole foods like liver, adrenals, stomach, yeast, alfalfa, buckwheat, bone, mushroom, sweet potato and more.

​MediHerb Adrenal Complex​

Adrenal Complex contains Licorice and Rehmannia used traditionally to support adrenal gland function for a healthy stress response. These herbs have been recognized as helping the body adapt to the challenges of everyday life.
​
While these nutritional support products can be beneficial, those with ongoing issues should also consider strategies to help reduce their chronic stress. These strategies to reduce stress include spending time in nature, performing an enjoyable physical activity, increasing quality sleep, avoiding junk food and increasing nutrient dense whole foods, taking a quiet break during the day, and spending time with those you enjoy.

Combining healthy habits with extra nutritional support can significantly help you reduce the effects of stress and make you more resilient to the challenges of life.

Aches and pains cause millions of Americans to take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like Ibuprofen, Motrin, Aleve, Advil, Bayer, and Aspirin, but research links these common pain relievers to higher risks than once believed. Fortunately, there are alternatives that can reduce inflammation without the risk of side effects.

Inflammation & Arthritis Pain

Inflammation occurs when there is damage to tissues of the body. Common signs of inflammation include pain, swelling, redness, and warmth over the area of injury. While inflammation is a natural response to injury, it can become severe or chronic, contributing to significant pain and disability. Inflammation is a large component of the pain experienced by those with osteoarthritis, which affects over 30 million American adults. Controlling inflammation can help these patients control pain and stay more active.

NSAID medications are commonly used for inflammation and arthritis, but they can be hard on the digestive system, sometimes damaging organs and causing stomach upset and bleeding. The body's processing of these drugs can lead to liver or kidney damage for some patients. Others can experience increased risk of heart attack or stroke. Anti-inflammatory medications can reduce pain by blocking inflammation in the body, but this benefit may not be worth the risk for some patients.

Natural Strategies to Reduce Inflammation

Anti-inflammatory medication is not the only way to reduced inflammation. Healthy habits can help reduce inflammation in the body, and may be even more effective than medication for some patients without the risk of side effects. Try improving these habits to reduce your inflammatory aches and pains:

• Avoid inflammatory processed foods and eat more whole foods
• Drink plenty of water
• Keep up with active exercise to your tolerance
• Counteract stress with stress-relieving habits
• Ensure adequate sleep each night (6 hour absolute minimum)
• Improve your posture to reduce physical stress on your joints and soft tissues

Extra Support to Reduce Inflammation

These health habits can reduce inflammatory aches and pains in most patients, but some may need a little more help. A variety of food and herbs are anti-inflammatory and can help even more. One of our favorite supplements to support a healthy inflammatory response (especially for those patients we see with arthritis pains) is Boswellia Complex by Mediherb. This herbal supplement includes boswellia, ginger, turmeric, and celery seed, four naturally anti-inflammatory herbs. This combination inhibits inflammatory leukotrienes without interfering with other processes of the body so we don't have to worry about the risks associated with NSAIDs.

One tip when taking boswellia to help inflammatory levels, is to take it with a meal when eating healthy fats or oils. This helps improve the effectiveness. Start improving your habits today, and try Boswellia Complex if you need more anti-inflammatory support.

Stop blaming mom and dad for passing along bad genes and start looking at your own health habits, because you control your health more than your genes do. It's the start of a new year and a fresh start to improve your health. You can choose to believe that you can't control you health and continue down the road of declining health and more medication every year...or you can empower yourself with the latest science. Human genetics have barely changed in thousands of years, yet our health problems have skyrocketed in only decades. What's really going on? If genes haven't changed, what has?

As scientists gain a better understanding of genetics, they are learning more about how our habits actually control the function of our genetics. They have discovered that most health conditions are not the result of bad family genes. They come from bad habits. Our habits actually switch genes on and off, leading to increased risk of health problems or health improvement. This area of research is called epigentics; studying factors that control DNA. The infographic below helps simply explain how this occurs. Researchers studying epigentics have seen how smoking, diet, and exercise switch genes on and off. A stressful lifestyle or other environmental factors can also switch genes on and off.

Are you switching on good genes or bad genes?

Think about this: A young man with bad habits switches his genes to "unhealthy" mode and then passes them on to his first son. Then the father wises up with age, improves his health habits, and switches his genes back to "healthy" mode. He has a second son and passes these "healthy" genes on to him. The genes could theoretically be the exact same in both children, but the genes in the first son are switched to cause more health problems than the genes in the second son.
Now consider: The first son could potentially take up good health habits to switch his genes back to "healthy" mode, while the second child takes up bad habits and makes his genes worse.

Take control of your health for you and your children

The bottom line is: You control your health. You also control the health of your children and grandchildren by switching on bad and good genes and passing them down. You are not an innocent bystander of your  inherited genetics. Don't accept bad health and try to medicate your symptoms under control. Take control of your health with good habits. Watch for our helpful tips for these 5 major causes of health problems to control your genes: diet, exercise, posture, sleep, and stress.

Enjoy the latest research on health care and healthy living:

American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) Says No to Antibiotics in Animal Feed

Feeding livestock antibiotics to artificially boost growth is big business and America's Pediatricians are finally saying that's enough. MedPage reported on the AAP's announcement discouraging use of antibiotics in animal fed due to the potential harm for children. While 7.25 million pounds of these drugs are sold for use in humans, more than 32.2 million pounds are sold for use in animals -- animals that often have no active infection.

The overuse of antibiotic medication in children was also briefly addressed: "Clinicians bear some responsibility for this problem because we ourselves are not always prudent in our use of antibiotics...Unfortunately, too many people still prescribe antibiotics for colds or sore throats without having an appropriate bacterial diagnosis. So, since clinicians are part of the problem, they can be part of the solution."

For your family's safety, choose meat that has been raised without antibiotics or other chemicals. And avoid antibiotic use for common colds, runny noses, and sore throats that are caused by viruses that cannot be killed with antibiotics.

Medical Errors Still Alarmingly High

Forbes recently reported: "A disturbing new study, published in the October 2015 issue of Anesthesiology, found that medication errors occurred in nearly half of all surgical procedures. Additionally, the study found that one-third of all errors resulted in adverse drug events or harm to patients." The study reviewed surgeries performed at a Harvard-affiliated hospital "considered a leader in patient safety." Clinicians weighing in on the study felt this actually underestimates the number of medical errors.

This follows research estimating deaths due to preventable medical errors at 400,000 per year in the United States. Furthermore, these estimates seem to only consider hospitalized medical care, not accounting for other medical treatment. It's always important to recognize the significant risks associated with even "non-invasive" or "minor" medical care, utilizing safer conservative care first whenever possible.

Now Some Good News: Americans Are Eating Better And Reducing Disease

Don't let us mislead you, researchers still conclude the diet of Americans is "poor". However, an analysis of diet trends (from 1999-2012) found small signs of improvement with a big payoff: 1.1 million fewer premature deaths, 8.6% fewer cardiovascular disease cases, 1.3% fewer cancer cases, and 12.6% fewer type 2 diabetes cases. Good job Americans - now keep going!

You're apparently drinking fewer sugary beverages and eating more fruit, but you haven't increased your veggies. Get those veggies in and keep cutting the sweets and carbs. Eat real unprocessed food and get moving!

While soft drink companies continue to promote sugary drinks as a reasonable part of a healthy diet, studies continue to show significant health risks for kids and adults drinking them.

A recent study of children ages 8-15 years old looked at how drinking sugary beverages affected their triglyceride (blood fats) and cholesterol levels over 12 months. Researchers found a significant worsening of triglyceride and cholesterol for those consuming more sugary drinks.

Another recent study analyzed over 40,000 men to determine whether sweetened beverages increase the risk of heart failure. Sweetened beverages for this study included soft drinks, sweetened fruit juices, and drinks with artificial no-calorie sweeteners. When researchers ruled out other causes, they found that sweetened beverages significantly increased the risk of heart failure.

Don't be fooled by marketing. You can't outrun or out-exercise regular consumption of sweetened beverages. Start reducing your intake today. Alternatives to consider include kombucha, coconut water, soda water with lemon, or good-old-fashioned water. Cut out sugary drinks for a week and feel the difference - then

From its beneficial effect on diabetes to reducing weight gain, a recent study confirmed that eating more homemade meals is good for your health. Researchers "analyzed data from nearly 58,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study and more than 41,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study and followed for up to 36 years."

Results showed a significant health benefit from eating homemade meals instead of eating out. "People who ate about two homemade lunches or dinners each day — or about 11-14 meals a week — had a 13 percent lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes compared to people who ate less than six homemade lunches or dinners a week." There was also significantly less weight gain over the years for those eating more homemade meals.

With the holidays coming soon, it's time to get cooking. Homemade meals help you take control of what your family is eating, and avoid hidden junk that often sneaks into packaged or processed foods. The more home-cooked meals you eat, the better. Cooking at home can help you maintain healthy weight, avoid diabetes, and help with a variety of other health conditions.

Here's a question that most diabetics get wrong when we ask, but their health depends on it. Unfortunately, proper nutrition education for diabetics often takes a back seat to medication use. Can you answer this question correctly?

Which type of food is the most stabilizing to your blood sugar?

A. Carbohydrates
B. Protein
C. Fat

Don't peek below until you've guessed...



Think hard...



Ready?



It's not carbohydrates...



It's fat. If you said protein, you've been scared away from fat like most Americans.

Good fats are important for all of us (not just diabetics) to maintain a stable blood sugar, which means sustained energy and less food cravings through the day. Fat provides steady energy for hours and protein does a pretty good job too. Carbohydrates (sugars) give us a quick burst of energy, but leave us wanting more as energy levels slump after only two hours. Start your day right with eggs instead of cereal or toast, and feel the difference.

Still think your sugar-sweetened beverage won't hurt you? It may kill you based a recent study published in Circulation Journal. Put down the pop and toss the sweet tea.

Researchers looked at studies linking sugar consumption and various chronic diseases to make the best estimate of annual deaths related to sugar-sweetened beverages. Here's what they calculated for those drinking sugar-sweetened beverages:

• 133,000 annual deaths from diabetes
• 45,000 annual deaths from cardiovascular disease
• 6,450 annual deaths from cancer

These conditions cover only a fraction of the health problems linked to sugar consumption, and include only beverages not sugary foods. They also excluded store-bought fruit juice, which has been found to cause harmful effects comparable to soda. These numbers likely underestimate the harm from sugar.

While Americans have been told to focus on cutting fat, we've largely overlooked the bigger problem - sugar. Start reducing your sugar intake today and don't think artificially sweetened beverages are any better for you. Don't let sugar-sweetened beverages kill you.

The sweetest holiday of the year is almost here and if you don't want to end up dealing with an aftermath of boogery noses and coughing kids, it's time to get planning for Halloween. It's no coincidence that Halloween welcomes in cold & flu season. If you can limit your children's sugar intake this holiday, you'll also limit their risk of illness afterwards.

Try some of our tips and tricks to treat your children to healthier Halloween fun.

5 Healthy Treats for Trick-or-Treaters

1. Dark Chocolate - a sweet treat that avoids the extra sugars and junk in most milk chocolate candy.
   
2. Honey Sticks - what kid doesn't enjoy a honey stick? Honey is a natural sugar that the body can handle better than processed sugars.
   
3. Pumped-Up Popcorn - cook up some popcorn in a little coconut oil and add some spices or dark chocolate for a fun flavor.
   
4. Chocolate Covered Fruit or Nuts  - a piece of fruit or bag of nuts may get returned, so add some dark chocolate for a nice treat.
5. Lara Bars - our favorite snack bar comes in flavors like apple pie and cashew cookie, but only includes fruit, nuts, seeds, and spices. They have small snack size mini-bars that would be a good choice. Watch out for the new types that include sweeteners.

Click here to check out more healthy and fun ideas for your Halloween party.

It's time to update the US Dietary Guidelines (remember the good old food pyramid?) and for the first time in about 40 years, "experts" state it's OK to eat cholesterol again! It's time to celebrate with cheesy eggs cooked in butter and a side of shrimp. Not so fast...dieticians may no longer be afraid of cholesterol, but they still fear saturated fat.

High-cholesterol foods like eggs are healthy

Once again, experts eventually have to follow the science, which shows eating cholesterol has little impact on blood cholesterol levels - research names sugar and refined grains as the real culprit. However, experts aren't ready to believe the abundance of scientific evidence that saturated fats have no effect on heart disease or other health issues. Saturated fats are still just too scary after so many years of warnings, so they still recommend limited intake.

The most important limit is sugar

Another historic change is the first specific limit for sugar. It's not as good as the World Health Organization's recommendation of 6 teaspoons or less each day, but the recommendation of 12 teaspoons of sugar or less each day is a step in the right direction. What does 6-12 teaspoons of sugar equate to? One cup of "fruit" flavored yogurt would take you over the 6 teaspoon limit. One 20oz of Minute Made orange juice would hit the 12 teaspoon limit, and one 20oz coke would take you over it. Prepare for a barrage of artificial sweetener & diet drink ads.

While experts are still overly concerned about saturated fats and animal meat, these recommendations are an improvement over decades of bad advice. We can all agree on the importance of eating less processed food and more whole foods - good quality meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts & seeds, good fats, etc. Maybe in another 5 years, US Diet Guidelines will be even better.

We've all heard milk "does a body good" because milk "builds strong bones." But that has never been tested...until now. Milk was assumed to be good for bone health because it provides a source of calcium, a key component of bone.

However, a recent study of over 100,000 people showed a link between high milk consumption and INCREASED risk of bone fractures, mortality, and inflammation.

The authors of the study noted milk "might possibly be harmful to skeletal and general health."

It is possible that milk didn't create more health problems; instead those with more health problems chose to drink more milk. But this explanation is less likely when considering what else the researchers discovered: fermented dairy reduced risks of fracture or other health problems.

While drinking milk increased the risk of fractures and mortality, consuming fermented dairy reduced the risk of fractures and other health problems.

Healthier fermented forms of dairy include yogurt, cheeses, kefir, cultured buttermilk, sour cream, and others. The natural fermentation process is thought to make milk healthier by improving digestibility, reducing milk sugars, and providing beneficial bacteria (probiotics). Fermentation has also been found to generate vitamin K2 (a beneficial nutrient not found in milk).

It's also important to recognize the current over-processing of milk with high heat pasteurization, homogenization, fat extraction, and other techniques that reduce milk's nutrient content or nutrient availability. For those who still want to sport a milk mustache, try choosing the least processed, preferably organic, form of fermented dairy you can find. If you're looking for a source of calcium, try dark leafy greens and don't worry about trying to drink more milk.

When sales are slipping because overweight Americans realize they shouldn't be chugging a can of high fructose corn syrup each day, it's time for plan B: covertly pay nutritionists to recommend mini coke as a "healthy snack."

There's no limit to what junkfood companies will do to entice customers to consume their product. A reporter from the Associated Press recently revealed Coca-Cola's tactics to lure customers into drinking coke. Coke has been paying nutritionists and dieticians to write articles during Heart Health Month in which they recommend drinking coke.

A Coca-Cola spokesman even referred to the nutritionists as "paid talent." While they should be free to share their uneducated/paid opinion with the public, the articles don't make it clear that the nutritionists were paid by Coke. Someone thinking they have found independent dietary advice is actually just reading an ad that Coke paid for without knowing it.

A mini Coke is not healthy, just as a mini cigarette is not healthy. Beware what you read and try to choose reliable sources for your information. Your health depends on it.

We regularly coach patients on dietary changes that will gradually improve their health, but we are often asked what can be done to see dramatic changes in a short period of time. For these patients we have specialized nutrition programs that allow them to see quick progress and leave no doubt in their mind about the power of nutrition.

Well-designed nutrition programs can give you a quick boost in the right direction AND help you set better lifestyle habits for long term health. It's never about a quick fix. It's about a quick start to better health that lasts a lifetime.


21-day Purification Program

Standard Process' 21-day Purification Program is the oldest and most popular nutrition program we've offered patients at our clinic. At this point, we have seen positive changes with just about every health problem you can imagine - allergies, asthma, skin problems, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, high blood sugar, stress, digestive problems, aches & pains, anxiety, sleep problems, overweight... It's amazing how quickly the body can change when we focus on eating ONLY nutrient dense foods and provide extra support from whole food supplements. It's not about taking some chemical to flush you out. It's not about stopping eating and taking a diet drink. It's about eating the most nutritious foods you can and learning to establish healthy habits. It's also a lot of fun for us.

10-day Nutrition Programs

For those patients that aren't ready for a full 21-day program or are looking for something more specific to their individual needs, we now offer 10-day nutrition programs. These also focus on eating the most nutritious foods, while including supplements that target the desired health problem or goal.

Anti-inflammation Program
Inflammation is involved to some degree in just about every health problem, and the average American is driving up their systemic inflammation with poor eating habits. This nutrition program targets inflammation to reduce it as quickly as possible - naturally - to avoid the side effects of anti-inflammatory medications.

Balanced Blood Sugar Program
With diabetes and blood sugar handling problems hitting epidemic levels, this program provides a natural solution to control blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.

Women's Vitality Program
Hormonal imbalance in cycling and non-cycling women can cause a variety of uncomfortable symptoms. This nutrition program helps balance hormones naturally to reduce the discomfort and symptoms so commonly noted.

What's right for you? If you are not sure, ask our doctors or attend one of our monthly nutrition classes for more information. Our goal with every patient is to see enough improvement that there is no doubt in your mind as to the power of better nutrition, and these nutrition programs help us do that.

The new year has begun, which means it's time for lists: here's a list of our 5 favorite supplements that we've seen patients benefit from the most.

1. Whole Food Multivitamin - the best source of nutrition is whole foods. The second best source of nutrition is whole foods in tablet form (not the synthetically-derived vitamin components sold in high doses at the drug store). We like Catalyn because Standard Process has perfected the process of raising it's own organic produce and tests every step of the way to make sure it's multivitamin provides the best nutrition.
2. Omega 3 Fish or Krill Oils - omega 3 fish oils are one of the most anti-inflammatory foods you can eat, but most of us are not including them in the diet. If you're not eating wild fatty fish regularly, include a high quality fish or krill oil.
3. Probiotics - researchers continue to find more links between our microbiome (bugs living in and on our bodies) and a variety of health issues involving digestion, regularity, immunity, skin health, mental health, arthritis, obesity, auto-immunity and more! Include healthy bugs in your diet on a regular basis by eating fermented foods or taking probiotics.
4. Vitamin D - the importance of vitamin D has been well established, but 80-90% of our patients tested for vitamin D with blood work show insufficient levels. Is that a surprise in less-than-sunny Northeast Ohio? There are few food sources high in vitamin D, and most of us don't spend enough time in the sun to produce adequate levels. Take vitamin D to keep your levels up to par.
5. High Quality Protein Powder - a smoothie can be a quick and easy nutritious meal when you're in a hurry (or have time to enjoy it). Start with a minimally processed whey protein powder (not isolate) without added junk like processed sweeteners, colors, artificial flavors, etc. Combine with fruits and other good ingredients for a delicious meal.

For the most benefit, take your supplements with healthy meals as much as possible. A variety of other supplements can be helpful for specific needs, but these are the best supplements for most of us.

A small study performed on patients with Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) found another reason to eat dark chocolate - improved walking.

PAD is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to your limbs, often causing leg pain with walking. PAD is similar to atherosclerosis that affects the heart and can be a sign that blood flow is reduced to your heart and brain as well.

Those eating dark chocolate could walk farther and longer

In the study, researchers compared two groups, those eating 40 grams of dark chocolate (>85% cocoa) and those eating 40 grams of milk chocolate (<35% cocoa). Those eating dark chocolate experienced a significant improvement in their ability to walk within two hours of eating. The patients could walk further and walk for a longer period of time. There was no change for the group eating milk chocolate.

While a larger study should be performed to confirm the results, this research provides further support on the benefits of eating dark chocolate. The darker the chocolate, the better. Milk chocolate has too much added sugar and processed oils to be beneficial, so choose dark chocolate.