Showing posts with label lifestyle medicine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle medicine. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Food Over Medicine - Book Review




I recently had the pleasure of reading the book Food Over Medicine: The Conversation That Could Save Your Life. Authors Dr. Pamela Popper, PhD, ND and Glen Merzer take on the subjects of health, nutrition, and the practice of modern medicine as we know it today. They do an excellent job in doing so and in a very unusual fashion might I add.

Food Over Medicine is literally a conversation between Glen and Pam on some of the most pressing health issues that face our current system today. Both authors maintain a high degree of credibility and professionalism that you would expect when covering these serious topics, yet their style is fun, casual, and entertaining to say the least.


About The Authors


Dr. Pamela Popper, PhD, ND is the Executive Director of The Wellness Forum located in Colombus, OH. She is a naturopathic doctor who uses lifestyle medicine, and more specifically plant-based nutrition, to prevent and reverse many of the chronic diseases ailing her patients. She has appeared in the blockbuster documentary Forks Over Knives and is an internationally recognized speaker and expert in the field of nutrition, medicine, and health.



Glen Merzer is coauthor of Mad Cowboy with Howard Lyman, as well as No More Bull! with Howard Lyman and Joanna Samorow-Merzer. Glen is a playwright and screenwriter residing in California. He has been a vegetarian for forty years and vegan for almost twenty.







Wednesday, August 14, 2013

The Anatomy Of A Bowel Movement (And How To Cure Constipation)


Many of us take for granted our trip(s) to the porcelain throne each day as we rid ourselves of built up toxins and waste products via nature's evacuation system. Or to put it more candidly, I'm talking about pooping. Everybody does it, but not everybody does it well.

We've all been in this second group of folks, at least at some point in our life, straining and struggling to get those rock hard miniature boulders out of our bottom end to finally provide us some relief. Ultimately, many of us still find ourselves falling short of the call of "duty". This is no fun by any means, so what now? A pill? A powder? An extra gallon of water? A trip to the doctor's office?

I'm going to outline the ins and outs of constipation, as well as what you can do about it, to help you navigate the human plumbing system in hopes of providing you with some much needed relief. After all, everybody deserves to feel good. As an added bonus, you'll get the bragging rights of becoming a super pooper. Now how can you turn down that deal?!

Constipation - Definition and Prevalence


Constipation is officially defined as less than 3 stools per week using the Rome III criteria. The presence of hard stools, straining, and incomplete defecation is present 25% or more of the time. Constipation does tend to be a very subjective disease, however, as lack of agreement between patient and physician can occur when defining what exactly constipation means to each individual. Nonetheless, nobody wants to be constipated regardless of how many or what kind of stools are taking place so no sense in squabbling over diagnosis details.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Is It & How To Treat It

Arthritis is a growing and leading public health concern in many developed countries. In the United States, it's the number one cause of disability, and its prevalence is rising due to the increase in obesity and age amongst the population [1]. In fact, data from the CDC found that 22.2% (49.9 million) adults age ≥ 18 had self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis. 42.4% of these arthritis sufferers reported limitations in their daily activity level because of the disease.

Arthritis is also an expensive disease, costing a total of $128 billion annually in the United States [1]. Clearly, this chronic condition warrants serious attention in our efforts to prevent, limit, or even reverse the debilitating effects it has on individuals.

Rheumatoid Arthritis - What Is It?


Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common forms of arthritis (osteoarthritis being the other) and is characterized by an autoimmune reaction affecting an individual's joints [2]. This process results in tenderness, pain, swelling, and stiffness in the affected joint(s). Over time, chronic inflammation from RA can lead to destruction of tissue and bone in and around the joint resulting in permanent deformities. A continual reduction in one's quality of life is typically seen as the disease progresses. Some patients with advanced disease even struggle to tie their own shoes or button their own shirt due to the severe pain it causes. Many individuals end up having to quit work and go on disability for the rest of their life. RA literally devastates those it affects.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

The False Hope Of Prescription Medications - A Pharmacist Tells All

For every ailment in today's world there is a pill. A solution in the form of a capsule or tablet or liquid with a concoction of chemicals inside designed to "cure" our misfortunes. Big Pharma has made their mark. As a pharmacist who's been in the medical field for over 10 years, I actually find this quite concerning given the pharmaceutical companys' primary motives for financial growth with little to no regard for patient safety and outcomes. The television commercials say it all. Drug companies are here to market, profit, and prosper off of sick people. You're of no value to them if you're in good health. This might be all well and good if the end goal was truly a nation, or a world, full of vibrant, healthy people who occasionally needed the help of Big Pharma to get back on their feet. But it's not. We live in an era where pill popping is the norm and weight issues and chronic diseases reign supreme. A quick look at the numbers confirms what we already know.

In 2011, a total of 4.02 billion prescriptions were dispensed at a grand total of $319.9 billion [1,2]. In case you were wondering, this amounts to approximately 12.9 prescriptions for every man, women, and child living in the U.S. at a cost of roughly $1,026.68 per year per person. Most of this isn't hitting our pocket books, not directly anyway. Insurance companies pay for the majority of the costs. In 2011, the average copay for 75% of all prescriptions dispensed in the U.S. was $10 or less thanks to the increasing availability of generic medications and prescription drug coverage [1]. I could write an entire book on the statistics behind the legalized drug world, but I'll stop for now. If you care to look into the subject any further you can read the IMS Institute for Health Informatics report here.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

A Mother's Story Of Reversing Type 2 Diabetes



Imagine being faced with one of the most difficult decisions of your entire life. A decision of whether or not to let another human being live or die. By choosing life, it may result in years of surgery for this person, the possibility of retardation, and even the chance of them being put into a vegetative state. By choosing death, it means letting go of a newly formed bond and love so strong that you don't know if you could possibly forgive yourself for making such a decision.

This is the exact decision that Cherise Scally and her husband, Michael, were faced with as they looked into the eyes of their precious baby girl weighing only 1 lb. 11 oz. Nicole had been born nearly three and a half months early and was currently on life support in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). She was suffering from a severe infection called sepsis which is a life threatening infection in the blood. Sepsis is actually the seventh leading cause of death for infants in the United States [1]. In Nicole's case, it was likely due to Cherise's water breaking early and the resulting preterm delivery. Cherise had just been admitted to the hospital a few days earlier due to diabetic complications. Her blood sugars were fluctuating wildly between 165 and 485 and she nearly suffered a diabetic coma. She had no idea she was in such critical condition.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

How To Make Meditation A Habit


by guest blogger Brandon Mercury
Meditation is a wonderful practice to help the body and the mind relax and re-center. Those who participate in daily meditation find that their minds are clearer and their muscles more relaxed. The benefits of meditation are many, including reduced mental clutter that often occupies our minds in a world of stress. Daily meditation has physical, spiritual and emotional benefits that help us to live happy, productive lives.
Meditation is a process used to bring clarity to the mind.  Regular everyday stimuli are unhealthy for us if we don't learn how to silence the noise from time to time. By using meditation to concentrate and clear your mind of distractions, you will find yourself being more focused and productive.
It’s important to experience daily meditation, but how do you get in the habit of meditation every day? You know there are important benefits to your health, but making the time for meditation isn’t always easy. Make meditation a part of your life with these tips.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Dr. Don & The Plant-Based Pharmacist - Food Subsidies, Lobbying, and the American Healthcare Crisis

Did you ever think about why our healthcare system is setup the way it is?  Or how our agriculture system is organized in a way that promotes the healthcare system by making it easy for people to buy and eat inexpensive foods which make us sick?

Dr. Don Wagner and myself went to the public airwaves with these topics to help others understand what goes on behind the scenes of government, politics, and the agriculture and healthcare industries.  We expose the food subsidy programs which act to further fuel the American healthcare crisis as well as talk about the money being exchanged between pharmaceutical companies and doctors and politicians.  There's a reason why you're bombarded with endless commercials and advertisements for disease promoting foods and medications that don't work to deal with these food choices.  You deserve better.  You deserve to know how to take back control of your life, your health, and your future and that's what Dr. Don and I aim to do by working together to inform you of topics like this.

I've included the links to the two articles I wrote that Dr. Don references throughout the program at the end of this article.  I hope you enjoy them and this show.  Remember, your best way to beat the agriculture and pharmaceutical companies at their own game is to adopt a healthy lifestyle so you can avoid becoming dependent on their products or services. By doing so, you benefit individually and act to end the current healthcare crisis by using less medical resources.  You'll be happier, healthier, and will look forward to the years to come instead of dreading the typical downhill slide that ends in disease and suffering that so many others experience in life.


Dr. Don radio show archive from 12/21/11



My articles on food subsidies, lobbying, and special interests:

Our Taxes - Are They Making Us Sick?

Big Money, Special Interests, and the American Healthcare Crisis







If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!

Friday, October 14, 2011

The Plant-Based Pharmacist & The Doctor - Erectile Dysfunction Dissected

Raise the flag!  What do you mean you can't?  Erectile dysfunction is not so much embarrassing as it is scary.  I'm not worried about men's pride, I'm worried about them staying alive or not becoming crippled due to a silent catastrophe lurking behind this sexual disease.

Over 18 million men in the United States suffer from erectile dysfunction (ED), and it's becoming somewhat of an epidemic when you look at the increasing numbers behind this disease¹.   The problems go well beyond the bedroom though.  Unbeknownst to many who suffer from this disease it could find you sprawled out over the operating room table with your chest split open as doctors try to perform major open heart surgery due to a massive heart attack.

Heart disease and ED... they're like two lovers destined to be together forever. Yes, these two diseases really are intimately related to each other but it sure isn't the kind of romance that most guys were looking for.  Find out what causes erectile dysfunction, the risks associated with it, and what can be done about it as The Plant-Based Pharmacist and The Doctor discuss this very important topic on the Dr. Don Show below.



Go HERE to download the mp3 file if you're having audio problems.










If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!


References:
1 Selvin E, Burnett AL, Platz EA. Prevalence and risk factors for erectile dysfunction in the US. The American Journal of Medicine. 2007;120:151–157.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

The Plant-Based Pharmacist - Dr. Don Wagner Radio Show

I had the honor recently of being a special guest on a terrific radio show featuring Dr. Don Wagner, board certified in family practice and emergency medicine.  The Dr. Don show takes a novel approach to today's healthcare problems. It's the perfect blend between conventional medicine and lifestyle approaches towards chronic diseases as he aims to educate the public with the most up to date and credible medical information to improve the lives of thousands.

The segment below features Dr. Don and I discussing my own personal story and professional journey into the world of lifestyle medicine and plant-based nutrition.  You'll hear how I grew up, what I learned as I made my way through school, and how I ended up becoming a plant-based pharmacist.

You don't want to miss this episode of the Dr. Don show!  So without further ado - sit back, relax, and enjoy!



If you're having trouble listening to the audio clip go HERE to download the mp3 file.


You can also read about my personal story of becoming a plant-based pharmacist - Going Veg - From A Pharmacist's Perspective.








If you like what you see here then you'll LOVE our daily Facebook and Twitter posts!  Also, don't forget to sign up for  Our Free Online Mailing List  to get all the latest updates from the Plant-Based Pharmacist!
by Dustin Rudolph, PharmD
Clinical Pharmacist

Check out Dustin Rudolph's book The Empty Medicine Cabinet to start your journey towards better health. This step-by-step guide leads you through many of today's common chronic diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, cancer, and more), giving you the facts on foods versus medications in treating these medical conditions. The book also contains an easy-to-follow guide on how to adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet as a part of an overall lifestyle change, producing the best possible health outcomes for you and your family. Hurry and get your copy today!

We'd love for you to join us in spreading the good word about plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine by telling your family and friends about our website at www.PlantBasedPharmacist.com. 

Share and rate this post below or tell us what you think by posting a comment. Thank you again for stopping by and until next time... be happy, be healthy, and live the life you've always dreamed of!