Radio Naturopath Episode 390: Eat to Increase Your Metabolism and Burn More Fat!

This week, we found out that caffeine can increase fat burning! If you don't get jitters, upset stomach, anxiety, or insomnia from it, it can be your friend. It increases fat burning, can help to prevent diabetes, and improve exercise performance. The trick is to find an amount that you can consume without getting the negative side effects. For some, it just doesn't work, but if you can safely ingest up to 400 mg/day it can help! We also found a whole bunch off foods that can increase metabolism and  help with fat burning. Protein, including fatty fish, beans and other legumes, cayenne pepper, unrefined cocoa, and more!

Radio Naturopath Episode 384: Happy Valentine's Day 2023! Chocolate, Vanilla, and Love Hormones

This week Ron and I commemorated our Valentine's Day anniversary, and then talked about more health benefits of chocolate. We even talked about the health benefits of vanilla, which are somewhat similar! And who knew that Richard Cadbury, the 19th century English chocolatier, started the tradition of chocolate gifts on Valentine's Day. He also created the first chocolate that was affordable for the masses! Milton Hershey and Russell Stover followed soon behind. We also touched on some feel-good hormones, like oxytocin and phenylethylamine. 

Radio Naturopath Episode 336: Supplement Timing, Red Wine, Food and LDL, QiGong, Natural Feminine Products

Today I had a question about the timing of supplements. We talked about how there are certain ones that are taken at certain times for specific purposes, but I don't like to be too strict about that because it affects compliance. I also talked about red wine and cholesterol; it definitely helps but not necessary for everyone to drink, and there are non-alcoholic foods and beverages that can also help to lower LDL. And don't forget cardio exercise! I've become a big QiGong fan and have been finding it very healing, helpful, and stress-reducing, so I talked all about it. And I advised women, especially those that have menstrual spotting between periods, to consider using unbleached sanitary supplies, or even reusable menstrual cups, that bleached supplies can contain dioxins and other chemicals that can affect menses!

Radio Naturopath Episode 334: Are Eggs, Red Meat, Red Wine, and Saturated Fat Good For You?

Today we talked about food! There ARE actually health benefits to eggs, red meat, and red wine, and it looks like saturated fat isn't really the thing that raises your LDL cholesterol. Naturally, if eggs are free range, if beef is grass fed, if you drink wine in moderation, they are likely good for your health! There are some reasons that are NOT directy eggs or meat that may skew the numbers in the wrong direction. And saturated fat is generally not going to affect your cardiovascular health. Because it's saturated, it doesn't tend to oxidize and therefore damage your blood vessels!

Radio Naturopath Episode 272: COVID-19: Sorting Out the Statistics, Testing Recommendations, The Bradykinin Theory and How to Calm Yours

This week I talked about: you guessed it, COVID-19. There were reports that only 6% of the people who had COVID-19 as one of their diagnosis codes had that as the only diagnosis; the rest had other conditions at the same time. Our dear leader and some of the right interpreted this to mean that only 9000 people actually died of COVID-19, not 200,000+. I sort this out; it's clear that these poor folk simply had comorbidities at the time of their death, and 6% of these deaths had no other diagnosis codes. This doesn't mean that they only died of COVID, but they could have comorbidities that were simply not listed. Nope, you don't get a pass, you still have to mask, distance, and wash. Also, the new head of the COVID-19 task force is now a neuroradiologist, Scott Atlas, who is in line with moving the economy and schooling forward, perhaps too quickly.

There was a study at Oak Ridge National Lab in Texas that suggested a bradykinin model of disease in COVID-19. Bradykinin modulators may be helpful in reducing the severity of the illness. There are many foods that you can eat that have polyphenols in them, which calm bradykinin. I list them off for you!

Radio Naturopath Episode 177: Treat the Whole Person, Treat the Whole Knee, Drink Some Green Tea

TREAT THE WHOLE PERSON, a very important concept in naturopathic medicine. I used atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia to illustrate this principle. Everything in a person's life can affect his/her whole health, so knowing how someone is spending their time, how they work, play, exercise, what stressors are happening, what their environmental exposures are all play into any conditions about which they're concerned! Also, update on my knee: EXTREME athletic tape that's meant for sweating, swimming, showering, and other events involving water is ideal! It comes in black. Also, black. And if you'd like another option, it's BLACK. Speaking of black, that's one of the colors the plant CAMELLIA SINENSIS comes in. I am still surprised to find out that people don't know that white, green, black, and oolong tea are all the same plant! So I discussed their benefits.