Grip strength can predict lifespan

How strong you can grip may be a better predictor of future health and longevity according to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal. After accounting for age and a wide variety of other factors, such as diet, amount of time being sedentary, and socioeconomic status, researchers found that muscle weakness—defined by a grip-strength measurement of less than 26 kilograms (57 pounds) for men and less than 16 kilograms (35 pounds) for women—was associated with a higher risk of premature death and a higher risk of heart and lung disease, and cancer.

Researchers in Norway found that those who have excellent grip strength in their 80s and 90s are more likely to live in good health into their 100s. The role of skeletal muscle is often under-appreciated. It not only controls our body movement; skeletal muscle also stores protein and plays a major role in glucose and lipid metabolism.

 

Published July 30, 2018 by Dr. Daniel Thomas, DO, MS

Lack of sleep and sitting all day damages the brain

If you are sleep-deprived or if your job has you sitting all day, your brain is being damaged. If both apply to you, that is a double-whammy that no brain can withstand. Regularly getting less than 6 hours of sleep a night can cause the same long-term brain damage as alcohol abuse. Sitting at a desk all day or spending hours watching television damages the brain in a way that can increase the risk of dementia.

Recent research found that getting too little sleep causes the brain to literally eat itself. Specialized brain cells called astrocytes are more active in brains that are sleep-deprived. Astrocytes act like miniature vacuum cleaners, sucking up unwanted cellular debris. While normally this is good, when the vacuuming goes on too long, the astrocytes begin sucking up portions of the brain’s connections called synapses.

Sedentary behavior such as prolonged sitting has been found to be associated with thinning of the medial temporal lobe of the brain. This portion of the brain is crucial to the formation of new memories. Thinning of the medial temporal lobe can be an early sign of cognitive decline and dementia.

 

Published June 18, 2018 by Dr. Daniel Thomas, DO, MS

Beware of eating grapefruit with certain drugs

When taking certain medication, be sure to avoid eating grapefruit and drinking grapefruit juice. While grapefruit is delicious and has many health benefits, it can interact with some common medication, causing serious side effects. It doesn’t take much either, as one-half grapefruit or a single glass of grapefruit juice is enough to cause this. And the effect can last for several days.

Medications are processed in your liver and small intestine by a group of proteins called cytochromes. Cytochromes break down medications, thereby reducing their levels. Grapefruit, as well as Seville oranges, tangelos, pomelos, and Minneolas, contain naturally-occurring compounds called furanocoumarins. Furanocoumarins can disrupt the activity of cytochromes. By slowing down the breakdown of medicines, grapefruit can increase the levels of these medications in your blood, thereby increasing their side effects.

Here are 33 common medications that can interact with grapefruit:

Some cholesterol medications:

  • Atorvastatin (Lipitor)
  • Lovastatin (Mevacor)
  • Simvastatin (Zocor)
Certain blood pressure medications:
  • Felodipine
  • Nifedipine (Procardia)
  • Losartan (Cozaar)
  • Eplerenone (Inspra)
A few heart rhythm medications:
  • Amiodarone
  • Dronedarone (Multaq)
Some anti-infection medications:
  • Erythromycin
  • Rilpivirine and related HIV drugs
  • Primaquine and related antimalarial drugs
  • Albendazole
Several mood medications:
  • Bupropion (Wellbutrin)
  • Quetiapine (Seroquel)
  • Lurasidone (Latuda)
  • Ziprasidone (Geodon)
  • Buspirone (Buspar)
  • Diazepam (Valium)
  • Midazolam (Versed)
  • Triazolam (Halcion)
Certain blood thinners:
  • Apixaban (Eliquis)
  • Rivaroxaban (Xarelto)
  • Clopidogrel (Plavix)
  • Ticagrelor (Brilinta)
  • Clopidogrel
Several pain medications:
  • Fentanyl
  • Oxycodone
  • Colchicine
A few erectile dysfunction and prostate medications:
  • Sildenafil (Viagra)
  • Tadalafil (Cialis)
  • Tamsulosin (Flomax)
  • Silodosin (Rapaflo)

 

Published December 4, 2017 by 

6 nutrients that help keep your brain young

Diet plays an enormous role in preventing dementia and keeping your brain young. Scientists have pinpointed certain nutrients that are associated with improved cognition. Here are 6 nutrients that can help keep your brain young:

Cocoa: The flavanols found naturally in cocoa and dark chocolate (not milk chocolate) are very beneficial. These flavanols can stimulate the dentate gyrus in brain—a region involved in memory function.

Omega-3 fatty acids: Plant-based foods rich in omega-3’s, such as flax seeds and walnuts, are not only good for your heart, they’re also good for your brain. They help with object recognition memory, spatial and localized memory, and aversion response retention.

Magnesium: Getting insufficient magnesium can lead to cognitive decline, accelerated brain aging, and ultimately dementia. Foods high in magnesium include pumpkins seeds, chard, spinach, almonds, black beans, avocados, figs, and dark chocolate.

Blueberries: Blueberries contain anthocyanins which are naturally occurring compounds with potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Anthocyanins can increase neuronal signaling in the brain’s memory areas.

Cruciferous vegetables: Eating a lot of vegetables can help prevent a whole host of chronic degenerative disease. Cruciferous vegetables in particular have been shown to reduce the rate of cognitive decline. Such vegetables include arugula, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radishes, and turnips.

Green tea: Green tea is good for so many things. With regards to brain health, green tea has been found to enhance your thinking process and working memory. Green tea also enhances the connectivity between the parietal and frontal cortexes of the brain.

 

Published March 19, 2018 by 

Exercise: Myths vs. Facts

America doesn’t have an “over-fat” problem. America has an “under-muscled” problem. You can be overweight, but if you carry enough muscle, you can still be healthy. Over the past several decades, mainstream health experts have sold us a bill of goods by vigorously promoting aerobic exercise as the best activity. Despite that, we are a nation of fat and physically weak people. Aerobic exercise not only has a dismal track record at producing fat loss, it has been shown to cause fat gain, muscle loss, and hardening of the arteries (arteriosclerosis).

Strength training—also known as weightlifting or resistance training—has distinct advantages over aerobic exercise when it comes to improving health. Strength training has a much greater ability to burn fat, build muscle mass, and improve strength. Studies have shown that strength is a far more accurate predictor of longevity and quality of life as you age compared to aerobic capacity (cardiopulmonary fitness). Furthermore, strength training, done correctly, dramatically increases aerobic capacity.

Besides a smaller waist and less body fat, greater muscle mass and strength translates to less cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. And while aerobic exercise increases aerobic capacity, it does almost nothing to combat two hallmarks of aging: sarcopenia (loss of muscle) and osteoporosis (loss of bone density). Strength training can halt and reverse sarcopenia and osteoporosis, and can stop older adults from becoming frail and can keep them independent and out of nursing homes. Furthermore, recent studies have shown that strength training promotes cognitive and functional brain plasticity, improves memory, and reduces the risk of dementia.

Everyone should exercise with strength in mind. Whether you are young or old, strength training has far more to offer than any other exercise. There’s simply no better way to fight obesity, diabetes, cancer, dementia, and frailty, and to impart self-confidence and get an attractive physique. If you’re not getting the results you want from your aerobic exercise, you should take up strength training instead.

 

Published October 13, 2017 by Dr. Daniel Thomas, DO, MS

What should you eat?

As a responsible and forward-thinking doctor, it is my job to stay abreast of the most effective ways to keep my patients healthy and strong. We know that food is the most powerful “drug” on the planet, possessing the power to cause, prevent, or reverse disease. Nowadays, the most health supporting diet is one that is low in lectins.

What in the world are lectins and why should you care? Lectins are toxic plant compounds that are part of a plant’s built-in defense mechanism against insects. Unfortunately, lectins can also cause trouble in humans. Many lectins are pro-inflammatory, immunotoxic, neurotoxic, and cytotoxic. Some lectins can increase blood viscosity, interfere with gene expression, incite immune hypersensitivity and trigger autoimmune disease, disrupt endocrine function, induce weight gain, promote cancer, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, and inflict damage to the gut (intestinal) lining and the kidneys.

Here’s why lectins are one of the most important health issues of our time: Lectins have always been in food. When they stay in the gut and get eliminated with defecation, there’s no problem. That’s what used to happen. Here’s what’s happening nowadays: On a daily basis, we are all being exposed to man-made chemicals that damage our gut lining that is normally impermeable to everything except nutrients.

The chemicals that damage the gut lining allow toxic lectins to gain access to our bloodstream, as well as gut bacteria and their toxic waste products called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). This modern-day medical condition is known as intestinal hyperpermeability. It is also known as leaky gut syndrome. The substances that are breaching our gut lining include:

  • Broad-spectrum antibiotics. This includes not only what your doctor prescribes, but also what is found in animal products (meat, dairy, and eggs).
  • Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, Advil, Motrin, and Aleve.
  • Stomach acid blockers. Also known as proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs). Examples include Zantac, Prilosec, and Nexium.
  • Artificial sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin, and aspartame.
  • Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). These are man-made, estrogen-mimicking chemicals that are prevalent in food and food packaging, water, clothing, and everyday cosmetics and toiletries.
  • Genetically-modified foods and exposure to the herbicide Roundup.

While you “may” be able to reduce your exposure to the above toxins, you cannot eliminate them entirely, as they are now present in tap water. They get into your body when your drink water and get absorbed through your skin and lungs when you shower. Thus, the reason to slash your exposure to lectins.

The foods highest in harmful lectins are grains, beans, legumes (including peanuts), and members of the nightshade family, including eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, tomatillos, and goji berries. Avoiding these foods altogether can have a profoundly positive impact on your health and longevity! For more information, read The Plant Paradox by Dr. Steven Gundry.

Before we get to the list of foods you SHOULD eat, it is important to know what you should NOT eat. Here is the list of foods with the highest amount of health-damaging lectins (stay away from these foods):

 

Grains:

  1. Amaranth*
  2. Barley (including barley grass)
  3. Buckwheat*
  4. Bulgar
  5. Corn (including cornstarch, polenta, grits, corn meal, corn syrup, chips, and tortillas)
  6. Kamut
  7. Oats
  8. Popcorn
  9. Quinoa*
  10. Rice* (white, brown, wild)
  11. Rye
  12. Spelt
  13. Teff*
  14. Triticale
  15. Wheat (including bread, flour, pasta, cookies, crackers, bagels, pretzels, pastries, couscous, wheatgrass, etc.)

*Soaking in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda for 24 hours followed by thorough rinsing and pressure cooking can reduce (not eliminate) lectins in these non-gluten grains. To reduce the glycemic load, pressure cook with small amount of vinegar and sesame oil. After cooking, refrigerate overnight, then rewarm before eating.

 

Beans & Legumes**

  1. Adzuki beans
  2. Baked beans
  3. Black beans
  4. Black eye peas
  5. Cannellini beans
  6. Fava beans
  7. Garbanzos (including hummus)
  8. Great Northern beans
  9. Kidney beans
  10. Lentils
  11. Lima beans
  12. Mung beans
  13. Navy beans
  14. Peanuts (including peanut butter)
  15. Pigeon peas
  16. Pinto beans
  17. Red beans
  18. Soybeans (including tofu, tempeh, edamame, miso, soy sauce, soy protein, soy milk, etc.)

**Soaking in water with ½ teaspoon baking soda for 24 hours followed by thorough rinsing and pressure cooking can reduce (not eliminate) lectins in beans and legumes. To reduce the glycemic load, pressure cook with small amount of vinegar and sesame oil. After cooking, refrigerate overnight, then rewarm before eating.

 

Vegetables

  1. Bell peppers***
  2. Cucumbers***
  3. Eggplant***
  4. Green beans
  5. Hot peppers***
  6. Peas
  7. Potatoes (including french fries & potato chips)
  8. Pumpkin
  9. Snap peas
  10. Squash
  11. Tomatillos
  12. Tomatoes*** (including pasta sauce, salsa, ketchup, tomato paste, etc.)
  13. Zucchini***

***Removing the skin and seeds can reduce (not eliminate) lectins in these vegetables.

 

Fruit

  1. All fruit juices
  2. Melons
  3. Goji berries

 

Oils

  1. Canola
  2. Corn
  3. Cottonseed
  4. Grapeseed
  5. Partially hydrogenated
  6. Peanut
  7. Safflower
  8. Soy
  9. Sunflower
  10. Vegetable

 

Sweeteners

  1. Agave
  2. Artificial sweeteners
  3. Honey
  4. Sugar (sucrose)

 

Meat

  1. Pork

 

Nuts & Seeds

  1. Cashews
  2. Chia seeds
  3. Pumpkin seeds
  4. Sunflower seeds

 

Beverages

  1. Alcohol (including beer, wine, and hard liquor)
  2. Milk (cow, goat, soy, almond, coconut, rice)
  3. Soda (regular & diet)

 

Now to the foods you SHOULD eat. By selecting from the long list of foods and beverages below, not only will you slash your exposure to toxic lectins, you will enjoy a wider variety of foods and a greater abundance of nutrients, flavors, and textures:

 

Grains

  1. Millet
  2. Sorghum

Vegetables

Strive to eat 6-8 servings per day of different vegetables (a serving is ½-1 cup)

  1. Artichokes
  2. Arugula
  3. Asparagus
  4. Beets
  5. Bok choy
  6. Broccoli
  7. Broccoli sprouts
  8. Brussels sprouts
  9. Cabbage
  10. Carrots
  11. Cassava root (yuca)
  12. Cauliflower (including riced cauliflower available from Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s)
  13. Celery
  14. Chives
  15. Cilantro
  16. Collards
  17. Fennel
  18. Garlic
  19. Horseradish
  20. Jicama
  21. Kale
  22. Kimchi
  23. Kohlrabi
  24. Leeks
  25. Mushrooms
  26. Mustard greens
  27. Okra
  28. Onions
  29. Parsley
  30. Radicchio
  31. Radishes
  32. Red & green leaf lettuce
  33. Red chicory
  34. Romaine
  35. Rutabaga
  36. Sauerkraut
  37. Scallions
  38. Shallots
  39. Spinach
  40. Swiss chard
  41. Turnips
  42. Watercress

Fruit

  1. Except for avocados, lemons, and limes, limit your intake of fruit
  2. Apples
  3. Apricots
  4. Avocados
  5. Bananas (green only)
  6. Blackberries
  7. Blueberries
  8. Cherries
  9. Chokeberries
  10. Coconut
  11. Cranberries (unsweetened)
  12. Currants
  13. Elderberries
  14. Figs
  15. Grapefruit
  16. Kiwi
  17. Lemons
  18. Limes
  19. Mango (green only)
  20. Nectarines
  21. Oranges
  22. Papaya (green only)
  23. Peaches
  24. Pears
  25. Plantains (green only)
  26. Plums
  27. Pomegranate
  28. Raspberries
  29. Strawberries

Oils

  1. Avocado mayonnaise
  2. Avocado oil
  3. Caprylic acid MCT oil (#2 choice)
  4. Coconut oil (best for cooking)
  5. Flaxseed oil
  6. Macadamia oil
  7. Olive oil
  8. Perilla seed oil (#1 choice)
  9. Sesame oil

 

Sweeteners

Use sparingly

  1. Just Like Sugar (#1 choice)
  2. Monk fruit (#2 choice)
  3. Stevia
  4. Yacon syrup

 

Herbs & Spices

All except for chili pepper flakes

  1. Basil
  2. Black pepper
  3. Cayenne
  4. Celery seed
  5. Cilantro
  6. Cinnamon
  7. Cloves
  8. Coriander
  9. Cumin
  10. Curry powder
  11. Garlic
  12. Ginger
  13. Marjoram
  14. Mint
  15. Oregano
  16. Paprika
  17. Parsley
  18. Peppermint
  19. Rosemary
  20. Saffron
  21. Sage
  22. Spearmint
  23. Star anise
  24. Thyme
  25. Turmeric

 

Dairy Products

Limit to 1 oz. organic cheese per day or 4 oz. organic unsweetened yogurt per day

 

Eggs

Pastured only: Limit to 2 per day

 

Fish & Seafood

Wild-caught & low-mercury varieties only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal

  1. Alaska salmon
  2. Catfish
  3. Crab
  4. Croaker
  5. Flounder
  6. Haddock
  7. Mackerel
  8. Mullet
  9. Oysters
  10. Pollock
  11. Sardines
  12. Scallops
  13. Shrimp
  14. Trout

 

Meat

Grass-fed only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal

  1. Beef
  2. Lamb
  3. Wild game (bison, elk, venison, etc.)

 

Meat Substitutes

  1. Quorn Chicken Tenders (available from Whole Foods)
  2. Quorn Naked Chicken Cutlets (available from Whole Foods)
  3. Quorn Meatless Grounds (available from Whole Foods)
  4. Homemade hemp tofu

 

Poultry

Pastured only: Limit to 4 oz. per meal

  1. Chicken
  2. Duck
  3. Turkey

 

Pasta

  1. Cappello’s
  2. Miracle Noodles
  3. Pasta Slim

 

Breads

  1. Coconut wraps
  2. Flax crackers
  3. Siete tortillas

 

Nuts & Seeds

Limit to one-half cup per day

  1. Chestnuts
  2. Flax seeds (freshly ground)
  3. Hazelnuts
  4. Hempseeds
  5. Macadamias (#1 choice)
  6. Pecans
  7. Pistachios
  8. Walnuts (#2 choice)

 

Olives & Capers

All

 

Vinegar

All (without added sugar)

 

Dark Chocolate

90% or greater

  1. Chocolate bar (1 oz/day)
  2. Raw cacao powder

 

Flour

  1. Almond
  2. Chestnut
  3. Coconut
  4. Green banana
  5. Hazelnut
  6. Sesame

 

Beverages

Unsweetened only

  1. Purified water (6-8 glasses per day)
  2. Organic decaffeinated coffee (black only)
  3. Organic green tea
  4. Organic green rooibos tea
  5. Organic dandelion leaf & root tea
  6. Wildcrafted chaga tea

 

General Guidelines:

  • Eat only foods that are labeled “USDA Organic” or “Non-GMO Project Verified.”
  • Eat a vegan (plant-based) or mostly vegan diet. Animal protein should be considered a condiment and not the main course. If you do eat animal protein, limit your intake to 2-3 meals per week.
  • Avoid excess protein: Consume 0.31 to 0.36 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day.
  • Minimize carbohydrates and maximize healthy fats.
  • Eat two meals a day plus a snack in between.
  • Confine eating to an 8-hour window period. For example, if you eat breakfast at 8:00 am, have a snack around 12:00 noon and dinner at 4:00 pm. If you delay or skip breakfast, have the first meal of the day at 11:00 am, then a snack around 3:00 pm and dinner at 7:00 pm.
  • Avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime.
  • Take a low-dose multivitamin/multimineral (for men: click here; for women: click here), omega-3 supplement, and probiotic. Depending on bloodwork results, you may need to add a separate vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplement.

 

Published June 18, 2017 by Dr. Daniel Thomas, DO, MS