by Milene Brownlow, PhD It seems like we’re always on our way to a destination. Whether it’s a physical journey, such as traveling out of town, or a mental one, like getting ready for a job interview, we must prepare for the journey in order to get there. Entering a state of ketosis is no different. Strategic planning is important. What is “ketosis,” and how can you get there? Many people associate ketosis with a popular diet program and as…

by Lewis Chang, PhD This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties Series Part 3: Regarding Human Milk Oligosaccharides (HMOs) Uniquely human It was more than 100 years ago when researchers first noticed that breast-fed infants had higher survival rate and…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Series Part 2: An Overview on Prebiotics This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties.  Series Part 2: (A) Regarding Fiber vs. Prebiotics  (B) Regarding IMOs What are fibers? Fibers, starches and sugars are actually all carbohydrates. What…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Series Part 1: An Overview on Prebiotics This multi-part series will help you understand what prebiotics are, what they do, and how they may improve the health of your patients. Based on published scientific literature, this series will also clarify common misconceptions surrounding prebiotics and summarize clinical evidence of specific ingredients with prebiotic properties.  Introduction: I think I know what prebiotics are, but... Many health-conscious consumers have become familiar with the term “prebiotics.”  Yet, conflicting information…

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 were released in January 2016 and have made significant updates for the consumer based on good science. However, the translation of the scientific basis of the recommendations to the Dietary Guidelines did not include some key scientific insights important to healthy lifestyles. Based on our ongoing commitment to creating safe, trusted, and effective medical nutrition solutions to prevent and manage chronic diseases, we conducted a detailed review in collaboration with our research partners at the Joslin Diabetes…

by Robert Silverman, DC, MS, CNS   When your joints ache, don’t open the medicine cabinet for a pain pill. Instead, head to the grocery store to find healthful—and delicious—foods the support joint health instead. Sweet Potatoes The deep orange color of a sweet potato comes from the rich supply of beta-carotene it contains. Beta-carotene is the natural precursor of vitamin A (retinol). When you eat a sweet potato, your body converts some of the beta-carotene into vitamin A. The rest…

by Kara Fitzgerald, ND Allergy season is in high gear. The trees are budding and pollen is bursting forth in Connecticut. As our winters are warmer, we’re also seeing allergies kick in sooner, perhaps with a higher intensity than in years past. While most of us are cracking our windows open and emerging from the winter cocoon into the welcoming sun, our spring allergy patients step outside or crack their windows and they’re bombarded immediately with an almost invisible (to the non-sufferer)…

by Bianca Garilli, ND, IFMCP A common concern in peri- and postmenopausal years is weight gain, typically 1.5 pounds per year during the fifth and sixth decades of life and shown to be independent of a woman’s initial body size or race/ethnicity. It was previously believed that the increase in weight coincided with the onset of menopause most likely due to the drop in estrogen levels. Although declining estrogen levels has, in fact, been shown to lead to an increase…

A thought-provoking article in the July 22, 2016 Issue of Science posed the question “Is triclosan harming your microbiome”?1 The article concludes that the data is still mixed about the effects of triclosan on the microbiome, but begs some broader questions such as, “what is triclosan?” and “are there safety risks associated with it?” Triclosan, 2,4,4’ –trichloro-2’-hydroxydiphenyl ether, is a synthetic, broad-spectrum, antibacterial and antifungal agent found in many oral and topical body care products, cosmetics, and even plastic toys, clothing…

In recent years, dietary guidelines have turned from emphasizing low fat consumption to embracing dietary patterns that are comprised of “whole” and unprocessed foods, such as the Mediterranean diet. The Mayo Clinic indicates that the Mediterranean diet emphasizes plant-based foods, healthy oils, fish and poultry, and red wine in moderation, with limited consumption of salt and red meat. It has been observed experimentally and in epidemiological studies that the Mediterranean Diet plays a beneficial role in health. For example, the PREDIMED study in Spain,…