How To Feel Vitamin "D"errific!

Vitamin D, also known as the sunshine vitamin, has become nothing short of a celebrity over the past few years. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find any doctor, pharmacist, or other healthcare practitioner who hasn't heard of all the health benefits it has to offer. From its role in making strong, healthy bones to improving heart health to decreasing the risk of cancer it seems as though there's nothing vitamin D can't touch.

This brings to mind several questions. Is vitamin D the new miracle pill, or is it simply a passing fad benefiting the bottom line of those with clever marketing skills selling supplements? And if vitamin D is really as prolific as they say it is then does everyone need to take it or just a particular segment of the population? How much is too little? Too much? Is it better to get vitamin D in the form of a pill or from the sun?

I hope to answer these questions and more as I sort through the vitamin D maze of confusion to offer practical, reliable, and evidenced-based information on exactly what you need to know about this new superstar of the supplement world.

What Is Vitamin D And How Does It Work?

Vitamin D is not a vitamin at all but rather a prohormone produced when the skin gets adequate amounts of exposure to ultraviolet B (UVB) rays from the sun [1]. The vitamin D produced by our skin is called vitamin D₃ or cholecalciferol [2]. Cholecalciferol is transported from our skin to the liver where it's metabolized into calcidiol, also known as 25(OH)D. Think of calcidiol as the storage form of vitamin D in our body, much the same way that a large amount of propane acts as the storage form of fuel inside a large holding tank ready and waiting to run various appliances inside a person's home. The propane cannot be used when stored inside the tank but without this supply a person cannot run the appliances located in their home when they need to. Calcidiol is the same, it needs to be converted into a usable form in order to be utilized by our body.

Whole Health

by guest blogger Joseph Baker

Whole health starts with fresh fruits and vegetables

For many, eating healthy is little more than a New Year's Resolution that is quickly broken each year.  Indeed, in our hustle and bustle world, it is quite easy to get caught up in a cycle of eating out, or eating meals that aren't nutritious, and this is the death knell to any healthy diet. Additionally, if you go into something planning to only make moderate changes, then the likelihood of success is minimal at best.  Instead of taking such a short-sighted approach, it is best to completely overhaul your eating habits.

Plant-based nutrition has long been viewed as a healthier alternative to the traditional diet of animal-based products (meat and dairy). In addition to lowering your risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) and other chronic diseases, a plant-based diet that is rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables has been shown to have an inverse association with all-cause mortality.

Making such a drastic lifestyle change may be out of reach for some. Due to the prohibitive costs of whole foods and quality produce, many shy away from a plant-based diet. More and more sites are springing up on the Internet that offer deals, making these changes a little more affordable, but many would say that more can and should be done on the retailers' end to ensure that eating healthy is feasible for everyone, not just those who can afford it.

The Skinny On Chef AJ's Book - Unprocessed

I read a lot about health and nutrition these days which is a good thing because I'm a healthcare practitioner.  And although nutrition isn't a large part of my everyday duties as a pharmacist it's certainly extremely important to one's overall health, and I realize that. Since I never received any training or education in regards to this during pharmacy school I've taken it upon myself to learn as much as I can about this subject on my own time.  The latest book to help fill in this gap is the wonderful work and product of Chef AJ.

Chef AJ has become one of my favorite culinary artists and is also a bit of a rockstar in the plant-based world.  She's brilliant in the kitchen and makes eating a whole foods, plant-based diet surprisingly simple and unbelievably delicious in her new book Unprocessed.  I guess that comes with the territory when you've got nearly 35 years of experience under your belt eating and preparing plant-based meals.  It wasn't always easy for Chef AJ though.

Spice Up Your Health

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Did you know that spices not only enhance the flavors of food, they also come with numerous health benefits? Here are just a few examples of what replacing the salt shaker with spices can do:

Turmeric – has anti-inflammatory properties and supports liver function. Studies have shown turmeric to improve inflammatory bowel disease as well as help neutralize free radicals that can cause cell damage including suppressing cancer cell growth. Turmeric contains minerals manganese and iron. Include turmeric in potatoes, rice, broccoli, cauliflower, and lentil dishes.

Cinnamon – contains healing properties including those that reduce inflammation and help stabilize blood sugar. It has anti-microbial properties helping stop bacteria and fungal growth. Cinnamon contains calcium and manganese.  Use it in fruit dishes, oatmeal, squash, black bean dishes, and eggplant. 

Make This New Year's Weight Loss Resolution Your Last One

It’s that time of year again. The holiday cookies, decadent pies, and elaborate Christmas feast are sadly over and those extra pounds around the waistline are now on everyone’s mind. With 2012 now upon us it’s time to make good on that New Year’s resolution of losing those added 10 or 20 pounds (or more) that you may have gained over the year(s).

Instead of just jumping on the weight loss bandwagon for a couple of weeks again this January why not decide to do things differently this year. Why not make this year’s weight loss resolution the last year you make this resolution. Skip the fad diets, gimmicks, and diet pills and commit to a lifestyle change that not only permanently keeps the weight off but also improves your overall health at the same time. This is what a plant-based diet can do for you.

Conventional diets rely on unproven tactics of calorie counting, portion control, or some other magical formula but don’t address the cause of permanent weight gain which is the high fat western diet. This type of diet, consisting almost entirely of animal-based and processed foods, may cut calories but will typically leave you constantly hungry which is why most people give up after a few weeks.

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!

Crossfit Training and Workout Program

by guest blogger Cyndi Laurenti

What is Crossfit?

It has been used by police and fire departments, gymnasts, and workout enthusiasts around the world, but Crossfit remains a mystery to many who casually work out day to day. To clarify, Crossfit is a combination workout bringing together elements from weight lifting, gymnastics, and more. The workout originated with Greg Glassman, the founder of the Crossfit movement, which evolved from his work in coaching and training police officers in the early nineties. It has developed a strong following and continues to be the preferred workout for many.

The Crossfit Workout

The Crossfit workout is scalable and can be adapted to beginning athletes or body building professionals. Even people looking for an escape from their day jobs or taking college classes online can benefit from the unique workout. A unique element of Crossfit is that the workout varies according to the Workout of the Day, or WOD. A WOD is posted each day on the Crossfit web site. Crossfit athletes also have the option of joining a local affiliate group and following the daily workouts there.

A typical WOD consists of a combination of exercises like squats, lifts, gymnastics and walking. Workouts are alternated with rest days. A typical Crossfit rotation may consist of three days of workouts followed by one day of rest.

The simple equipment required and strong internet community involvement has lent to the program’s popularity and ease of access. Even those who do not want to join a formal program can find sample workouts on popular video sharing web sites, as well as a multitude of blogs and forums dedicated to Crossfit.

This Is Your Body On The Standard American Diet (SAD)

Back in the late 80's and early 90's the Partnership For a Drug-Free America launched a campaign to help fight narcotic drug abuse in the United States. It became known as the This Is Your Brain On Drugs campaign. It sparked a lot of attention in bringing to light the consequences of using illegal drugs on human health and brain function.

Now it's time for a new campaign. I call it the This Is Your Body On The Standard American Diet campaign. Animal-based and processed foods have been linked in numerous studies to a number of chronic diseases seen in today's world. Obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, dementia, diverticulitis, autoimmune diseases, ADHD, irritable bowel syndrome, and many others all are highly correlated to eating a diet consisting of meat, dairy, eggs, and processed foods. These are all preventable and/or reversible in many cases just by changing what's on your plate and adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet.

Not everyone realizes the consequences of their food choices and the resulting health implications from these choices. Part of the reason is because it may take years or even decades for these diseases to show up. I see the pain and suffering first hand every single day from these diseases as patient after patient shows up in the hospital I work at. Here's exactly what happens to those who continue to eat a SAD diet of animal-based and processed foods day after day.

Holy Kale! From Aspiring Actress To Best Selling Author... Julieanna Hever's Story

Julieanna Hever, MS, RD, CPT

Once an aspiring actress, Julieanna Hever has now made a name for herself in the world of health and nutrition. She's become known as The Plant-Based Dietitian and is making a huge impact throughout the United States as she takes the message of plant-based nutrition to the masses.

Julieanna was recently featured on the Dr. Oz show speaking about the benefits of a whole foods, plant-based diet on one's overall health. She and Dr. Oz amazed their viewing audience by showing how eating healthy, wholesome foods transformed the lives of three female volunteers in just 48 hours. The volunteers saw their blood pressure and cholesterol numbers drop dramatically in addition to watching unwanted pounds melt away right before their eyes.

Julieanna has a Masters of Science in Nutrition and is also an ACE-Certified Personal Trainer. She's a best-selling author of two books and is also co-producer of a documentary featuring all the biggest experts in the field of nutrition and medicine. I was fortunate enough to grab an exclusive interview with her recently. I was able to get her to spill the beans on everything from how she grew up to her secret on helping athletes perform at their peak. I hope you find her interview as enjoyable as I did.

Forget Counting The Calories This Thanksgiving

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Did you know the average Thanksgiving dinner is 3,000-3,500 calories? That’s nearly two days worth the calories eaten at one meal! You can forget counting calories and enjoy seasonal favorites with these Thanksgiving ideas.

First, look at what you’re serving and see if a lighter version can be made. Do you add cream cheese and butter to the mashed potatoes? Forget them and don’t tell anyone. Instead add a couple of chopped turnips or parsnips to the boiling potatoes and whip with the potatoes for a slightly sweet flavor and a nutritional boost. Prepare roasted vegetables by cutting any combination of potatoes, carrots, onions, parsnips, sweet potatoes, and beets in ¾” chunks and sprinkle with rosemary and/or thyme and salt. Roast in a 425° oven for 30-35 minutes until tender tossing occasionally. A low calorie alternative to candied sweet potatoes is whipping cooked sweet potatoes with just a dash of cinnamon added.

What about the green bean and mushroom soup casserole topped with fried onions? A calorie-reducing alternative is to cook green beans in salted boiling water until crisp-tender for about 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Meanwhile, sauté onion and sliced mushrooms in a little vegetable broth. Add the green beans and toss. Put in serving dish and top with sliced almonds. Carrots will become a favorite by cooking sliced carrots in a little orange juice and finish with some chopped dill. A new salad idea everyone will enjoy is mixed greens with walnuts and dried cranberries tossed in a dressing of pureed raspberries with 1-2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar.

Limit the number of desserts offered. A welcomed dessert after a big meal is tossing some toasted coconut in a variety of diced fruits of your choice such as pineapple, bananas, apples and berries.

You will keep the waistline in check and still enjoy a feast this Thanksgiving with these guilt-free ideas.

Jody Perrecone is a corporate manager for the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP). CHIP is an international wellness program focusing on lifestyle interventions to create a healthier workforce and reduce overall health care costs. Jody works with hospitals, corporations, and communities to offer CHIP programs throughout the U.S.

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!

Food Stamps And Fast Food

by guest blogger Cyndi Laurenti

There's a frightening trend sweeping the nation: allowing those on food assistance and food stamp programs to buy processed, prepackaged foods, including at fast food restaurants, as an alternative to using that assistance only at grocery stores. Despite the efforts of some states to restrict the types of junk food allowed to be purchased with food stamp or food assistance cards, more states are adopting the policy of letting recipients buy some of the unhealthiest foods on the market. However, for some these foods are simply the most economically viable option.

The Reality of the Situation

Unfortunately, fast food is often cheaper than high-quality or organic food. Because the budgets of families that receive food stamps must be counted out to the penny, a $5 meal at a fast food restaurant may seem like the only option when healthy and nutritious food from a grocery store may cost two or three times as much. With such limited income, the choice becomes less a matter of eating something healthy instead of a fast food hamburger and more an issue of simply trying to get the most food for the least amount of money.

Ten Health Benefits Of Getting Your ZZZ's

Our modern, on-the-go world has become dependent on Starbucks, caffeine packed energy drinks, and/or a nicotine fix to make it to a state of functional each and every morning. This is most certainly due to a lack of sleep as many of us are failing to get enough zzz's. The popular vices of caffeine and nicotine only serve to undermine our health when instead a good night's sleep is usually all we need.

In the United States there are 50-70 million people who suffer from chronic sleep and wakefulness disorders [1]. The National Sleep Foundation states that adults need between 7-9 hours of sleep each night to stay in good health [2]. Getting the proper amount of sleep can do wonders for your health. Here's 10 health benefits of getting the proper amount of sleep.

Breast Cancer Survival

Breast cancer accounts for 28% of all cancer diagnoses in US women. Gene defects inherited from a parent account for 5%-10% of all breast cancers*. Up to 80% of breast cancers are due to our diet**. Leading causes of breast cancer are overweight, estrogen, physical inactivity, and alcohol consumption. Here are some things we can do to reduce the risks.

Body fat will increase estrogen (a growth hormone) activity. Of 26 studies conducted since 1990, 17 showed a direct relationship between higher weight and increased cancer risk and a lower survival rate. What is on our dinner plate affects hormone activity in both women and men. Strive for a diet low in fat to reduce body weight. In addition, a high fiber diet will help carry excess estrogen out of the body. Eating a diet high in vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains (which all happen to be low in fat and high in fiber) and reducing consumption of meat and dairy products (high fat, no fiber) will reduce chronic inflammation which can fuel cancer cells. Whole foods with beta-carotene (carrots, sweet potatoes) and vitamin C (broccoli, oranges, green vegetables) are particularly beneficial.

Exercising will send signals to reduce inflation, making cancers harder to grow by increasing the body’s defense system. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found women exercising the equivalent of walking 3-5 hours a week at an average pace had an improved breast cancer survival rates. Alcohol consumption can also increase the risk of breast cancer by disrupting the body’s protective mechanisms.

Losing weight, eating a diet low in fat and high in fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, avoiding animal products and alcohol, and exercising have proven to reduce the risk and recurrence of breast cancer.
* ACS Facts & Figures 2010
** American Cancer Society-Cancer Facts & Figures 1997

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!

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.

Mark Bittman - What's Wrong With What We Eat

There was a young boy who once grew up just like you and me.  He came from a household where mom was the go to person for all the family's nutritional needs.  She did the grocery shopping.  She made the daily menu.  She packed the lunches.  She even did the final preparation and cooking of the evening meal that found it's way onto everyone's dinner plate each night.

Mark Bittman was this little boy and he's now a grown man with a very inspiring message.  He grew up on the All-American diet of a large helping of meat, mashed potatoes, and fruit salad that originated out of a can just like you and I did.  He never tried a bite of spinach or broccoli until he was 19.  He also never learned how to cook from his mother.  You'd think that he'd have fallen into a life of fast food, microwave dinners, and Chinese take out but nothing could be further from the truth.  Mark Bittman turned into one of the greatest food writers ever known to man.