May 2021 Issue

When we don’t feel good, we often don’t realize that nutrient deficiencies may be responsible for the decline in the biochemical processes that should keep us functional on a daily basis. We also neglect to make the connection between our declining health and heavy metal toxicity. Our exposure to essential and toxic elements depends on our diet, where we live, and our lifestyle choices. We are exposed to toxic elements through environmental pollution in the air we breathe and through our skin. Our exposure is also impacted by levels in the soil or irrigation water used to grow the foods we eat, the supplements we take, and the water we

If we give broccoli to those with autism, it might make things better by relieving some of the mitochondrial dysfunction that creates even more free radicals. Current research suggests four causal factors of autism: synaptic dysfunction, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and neuroinflammation. These factors identify the problem but do not identify the cause. Harvard neurologist Martha Herbert said, “I think we need to conduct research as if we know this is an emergency.” Already, up to 1.5% of American children have autism, and the incidence appears to be on the rise. Once it became understood that one cause of autism may reside in the synapses, the nerve-to-nerve junctions where information

One of my main purposes as a nutritionist is to help my clients figure out ways to eat healthier. The majority of them have a good idea what is on the list of healthy foods they should eat more of. They are also aware of the unhealthy foods they should eliminate. The problem for them is how to do it. I spend a lot of my time helping clients understand the bad habits they may have around eating. Then we work on strategies to change those habits. Gretchen Rubin is one of my favorite nonfiction authors. Her book Better than Before is about how people develop habits and strategies for

For years, exercisers have been fed a misleading message regarding the best exercise intensity for burning fat. In a nutshell, it goes like this: if you want to burn more fat, you need to work out at a lower, more aerobic intensity, as opposed to higher intensities where you breathe more heavily. Exercisers are reminded of these recommendations every time they step onto a treadmill, elliptical trainer, exercise bike, or stair stepper, as there is usually a chart on the console display indicating the ideal fat-burning zone, typically expressed as a percentage of maximum heart rate or VO2 max, a popular and widely-accepted measure of aerobic fitness. Let’s face it