by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Color your plate, so the slogan goes. A 2018 study took this advice literally, incorporating pictures of fruits and vegetables (F&V) into school lunch plates with the goal of improving F&V consumption in preschoolers.1 F&Vs are a low-calorie, nutrient-dense (macro-, micro-, and phytonutrients) food group, but the US is getting a “failing grade” when it comes to F&V intake because typical Western diets are lacking in plant-based nutrition. Health behaviors, including dietary consumption patterns,…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), the most common liver disorder in Western industrialized countries, can be categorized into two major groups – non-alcoholic fatty liver (NAFL), which is not associated with significant inflammation, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is associated with hepatic inflammation.1 Both of these conditions involve hepatic steatosis. The US prevalence of NAFLD is 10-46%.1,2 Worldwide, the prevalence is estimated to be between 6-35%, with some researchers noting up to 50% incidence in the…

by Lewis Chang, PhD A ketogenic diet is a dietary approach that promotes nutritional ketosis by restricting carbohydrates and increasing the intake of fat with adequate consumption of protein. According to systematic reviews and meta-analyses, ketogenic diets may prevent an increase in appetite on reduced calorie diets1 and help achieve long-term body weight reduction.2 Emerging studies have suggested that ketogenic diets may be beneficial in diabetes management and exercise performance.3,4 Compliance with ketogenic diets can be difficult because the amount…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Ketogenic protocols have become an important therapeutic option for a variety of health issues including weight management, cardiometabolic dysfunction, and epilepsy.1 The potential of the ketogenic diet (KD) to help optimize body mass has important implications for the reduction of metabolic syndrome and its related chronic disease aspects such as heart disease, fatty liver, and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Additionally, the ketogenic dietary approach has gained widespread attention within the professional sports performance and wellness communities…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an urgent public health concern affecting approximately 1 in 59 US children.1-2 This complex neurodevelopmental syndrome is 4x more common in boys than girls and impacts all racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, although ASD is more common in white > black > Hispanic children.1 Other developmental, psychiatric, neurologic, chromosomal, and genetic diagnoses are known to co-occur with ASD,3-4 however, the genetic and epigenetic factors that impact autism pathogenesis are…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in which the immune system attacks and damages the myelin sheaths of nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord.1 Common symptoms include cognitive difficulties, vision problems, fatigue, pain, motor problems, bladder dysfunction, and sexual problems. However, symptoms and their severity vary greatly from patient to patient depending on the location of affected nerve fibers. What triggers MS is still unknown, but a…

by Bianca Garilli, ND Physical inactivity prevalence among adolescents aged 11-17 years was estimated to be 81% globally in 2010, where insufficient physical activity (PA) was measured as < 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous-intensity PA daily per WHO guidelines.1 As part of the 60 minute/day exercise recommendation, the US Department of Health and Human Services recommends that aerobic activity should be incorporated at least 3 days/week, muscle-strengthening at least 3 days/week, and bone-strengthening activities at least 3 days/week.2 It is well…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Mild traumatic brain injury (TBI), AKA “concussion,” results from an impact to the head (e.g. bump, blow, jolt) that disrupts normal brain function or consciousness.1 Concussions in youth are more common than you may think. In 2016, 19.5% of US adolescents reported at least 1 diagnosed concussion during their lifetime, with 5.5% reporting >1 concussion.2 In addition to competitive sports participation (particularly contact sports), other characteristics associated with a higher concussion rates include being…

by Christopher Moulton, PhD Depression is one of the most common mood disorders in the US and worldwide. In 2016 an estimated 16.2 million adults, or 6.7% of US adults, suffered at least one major depressive episode,1 while globally more than 300 million are afflicted.2 Further, depression is comorbid with numerous chronic disease states including cardiovascular disease,3 type 2 diabetes,4 inflammatory bowel disease,5 and cognitive decline.6 Current frontline therapies such as psychotherapy and antidepressant medications present challenges related to treatment…

by Bianca Garilli, ND For women, the pre- and post-menopausal years represent a time of major change in many aspects of life including spiritual, emotional, and physical. From a physical perspective, shifting levels of sex hormones such as dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), testosterone, and estrogen play critical roles in the transition in and through menopause. It’s during this chapter of a woman’s life that the number of ovarian follicles begin to decline. Their eventual depletion cause the ovaries to no longer respond…