by Milene Brownlow, PhD Nowadays, blogging about ketogenic diets hardly requires an introductory paragraph. Most of us are bombarded with newsletters, emails, and personal stories of how cutting back on carbs and increasing consumption of healthy fats yield remarkable benefits. The popularity of the diet is largely due to its effects on weight loss and improved metabolism. Yet, long before a trending topic on every social media platform, ketogenic diets were specifically, clinically used for seizure control in the treatment…

by Bianca Garilli, ND and Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Poor diet quality is common in developed countries and is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality. The impact of dietary patterns and nutritional bioactives on mental health is important to understand since at least 16 million people in the US, or 7% of the population, experience at least one bout of depression per year.1 The worldwide prevalence of depression is estimated to be 300 million, with projections by the World…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Almost 10% of the US population has diabetes, with another 34% in a precarious state of prediabetes.1 These diagnoses are not destiny. Research demonstrates that lifestyle interventions, particularly those incorporating nutrition therapy, produce clinically meaningful improvements in diabetes.2 Integrating this research foundation into the clinical setting is key. A study used an endocrinology private practice waiting room to deliver weekly group-based nutrition education classes for patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), examining the effects…

by Bianca Garilli, ND It is well known that gut dysbiosis impacts various aspects of human health, from cardiovascular disease to asthma.1 Bacterial composition in the digestive tract can be influenced by many aspects of daily life: stress levels, environmental exposures, and dietary habits, including alcohol consumption, to name a few.1-2 The literature also suggests that alcohol intake may play a role in the makeup of human oral microbiota through several mechanisms including direct cytotoxic effects on bacteria, changing the…

Obesity and cardiometabolic disease are metabolic perturbations associated with inflammation chronicity. The Western diet is typified by a surplus of calories, low nutritional quality, and high pro-inflammatory potential, thereby fueling excess adiposity, which further leads to inflammation. To break this obesity-inflammation cycle, adopting a healthful dietary pattern and incorporating regular physical activity is critical. Furthermore, identifying foods and nutritional bioactives that can reduce or counteract inflammation is important for the development of targeted nutrition therapies. This blog focuses on a…

by Lewis Chang, PhD Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern where one alternates periods of eating and fasting. Overall, intermittent fasting has demonstrated efficacy in weight management and improvements in metabolism and body composition.1,2 However, it is unclear whether the observed metabolic benefits are the result of weight loss or due to other mechanisms. Also, there are a variety of fasting regimens which may have different physiological effects. Researchers from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL) Department of…

Host: Deanna Minich, PhD, FACN, CNS Guest: Jeffrey Bland, PhD, FACN, FACB, CNS There has been considerable discussion recently as to what is the best approach in the management of early stage chronic disease- drugs or lifestyle? To help us answer that question, Drs. Deanna Minich and Jeffrey Bland discuss a recent New England Journal of Medicine publication1 by Johns Hopkins Professor of Medicine Andrew P. Feinberg, MD, MPH on the emerging and important role of epigenetics in medicine and…

by Whitney Crouch, RDN, CLT What is Golden Milk? Popularized across social media, golden milk is a cross-cultural drink originating in Asian countries and consumed for its anti-inflammatory properties and pungent flavor. Also known as “golden milk latte” or “turmeric tea”, golden milk is made with freshly grated or ground turmeric, a pinch of freshly ground pepper, honey or lemon to taste, and hot water, milk, or dairy alternative.1-2 The addition of freshly grated or ground ginger adds extra flavor…

by Bianca Garilli, ND As the rise in obesity continues globally, questions remain: do all people with obesity have increased risk of long-term chronic health conditions, or whether is there a subset of individuals who are healthy despite having obesity? In fact, the concept that “not all obesity is created equally” is emerging in the literature1 to describe individuals with obesity but who do not (yet) carry the markers of disease. This phenomenon is commonly referred to as metabolically healthy…