Thanksgiving - Food Traditions Revisted

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Thanksgiving - it’s a feeding frenzy and a day of guilty pleasures. We eat more than we should - and oh my - the calories!

Here’s how to have an epic Thanksgiving dinner with a nutritional boost, and save on the waistline at the same time.

5 Tips to Eating Healthy During the Holidays

by guest blogger Holly Yzquierdo

We are all adults here so I'm going to go ahead and say it. You can't let a couple of holidays completely derail your health or your goals. Now I know that was a little harsh but let's think about it objectively. Depending on your traditions you probably only really celebrate a few days between now and the end of the year. Why does that usually turn into a junk food fest for a month and a half? Are those few days worth the downward spiral that usually follows poor food choices. I'm not saying you can't indulge a bit but let's be smart about it. The following tips will help you celebrate without derailing your health.

Back Pain – Taking a Natural Approach to a Painful Condition

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Nearly  80% of Americans will have back pain in their lifetime. Americans spend at least $50 billion a year on back pain. Lower back pain is the leading cause of disability according to the Global Burden of Disease 2010. Various back disorders include sprains, strains, herniated disc, sciatica, spinal stenosis, and degeneration of disc.

The spine consists of 30 vertebrae and is the body’s main support structure. The vertebrae protect the spinal cord running through the central opening of the vertebrae called the vertebral canal and the nerve roots that extend from the sides of the vertebrae to various areas of the body. Muscles and ligaments that move and stabilize the vertebrae attach to the spinous process located at the backside of each vertebrae and to the transverse process located on the side of each vertebrae. Discs are flexible cushions located between each vertebra and hold the vertebrae together. They allow the vertebrae to bend and twist and minimize stress on the spinal column.

Breast Cancer Survivors Benefit From Healthy Lifestyles

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

The World Cancer Research Fund International released its Continuous Update Project(CUP) in October of 2014. WCRFI gathers scientific research from around the world. An independent panel of scientists evaluate the data and publishes their conclusions in CUP. The CUP report on breast cancer looks at research on diet, weight, and physical activity. It involves 165,416 participants diagnosed with breast cancer and 85 studies. This is the first report that has linked lifestyles with breast cancer survivorship. Here are their conclusions.

3 Questions to Always Ask Your Doctor (or Pharmacist)

Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ve seen the inside of a doctor’s office (or pharmacy) while seeking medical care for a health issue. We are human after all, living inside a human body, and our bodies eventually break down.

Even the most health-conscious individual will end up needing medical care at some point in their life. If this weren’t the case then we’d all live to infinity, without a worry in the world, living in perfect health. But that’s not how the world works. People get sick, accidents happen, and individuals find themselves in the waiting room of their doctor or hospital.

So now what? What do you do when a problem arises? How do you figure out what’s the best treatment option for you? Where do you turn for answers?

Not Even a Stroke Could Keep Me Down - My Whole Foods, Plant-Based Comeback

by guest blogger Gary Wilkerson

Gary before his whole food,
plant-based lifestyle change

In April 2004, I was working in my shop when my left arm went numb. Someone suggested I go take a nap. Shortly after, I just collapsed. I had been vegetarian since the mid 90s. I heard a friend calling 9-1-1. The fire station was across the street. A young helper soon said, "Here they come! They're here!" I never saw them. I was out. Gone. That is until 2 weeks later when I awoke in a hospital downtown Fort Worth, Texas with tubes everywhere. One doctor had written: "Prognosis: POOR" on my record.

The stroke occurred on April 16, 2004, I awoke on April 30; and on May 10 I was transferred to a horrid nursing home in Arlington, TX. Fortunately for me, the friend who called 9-1-1 visited me almost every evening or else I would have never made it. She worked hard to get me accepted by Veterans Affairs into the Transitional Care Unit, Dallas VAMC. There, the dietician said I needed dairy to replace the protein if I didn't eat meat. I agreed. I was still vegetarian at the time, but soon started giving most of it away to other veterans. I was there nearly two months from Dec 30^th to late February 2005. And what about the nursing home food before that? Well, unfortunately, I wouldn’t call it food. On most days I was brought meat on a plate when I requested not to have meat.

Gary at Canyon Lake, Texas Hill Country

The Empty Medicine Cabinet Official Book Launch!

If you’ve landed on this page looking for answers to your health questions then you’re in the right spot. My new book, The Empty Medicine Cabinet: The Pharmacist’s Guide to the Hidden Danger of Drugs and the Healing Powers of Food, is hot off the press and contains all the secrets never taught to pharmacists (or doctors) in pharmacy school (or med school). It’s time to take back your health America!

I’ve spent years researching and working in the medical field to accumulate the knowledge and information you need to get back on track should you find yourself battling a chronic disease. If you’re already in good health, then The Empty Medicine Cabinet can also be of benefit by providing the latest research in health, nutrition, and medicine and giving you a refresher course as to what truly constitutes a healthy lifestyle. You may be surprised at how much there is to learn about optimal health. I take some long-held beliefs in nutrition and medicine and dissect the science behind it all to tell you if they're really factual or myths so you can make better informed decisions about your health.

Who Should Read This Book?

This book is for anyone interested in health, or anyone who works in the healthcare field seeking a safer, more effective means to treat their patients without the side effects that medications bring to the table.

In particular, you’ll find this book helpful if you are:

• An individual wanting to live a disease-free life without the need for medication(s). There’s no reason to fear your family history. Genes do not necessarily doom your fate. You’ll find out why in The Empty Medicine Cabinet.

• A patient with a chronic disease (obesity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disease, cancer, kidney disease, etc.) who is frustrated with being put on a revolving door of medications with little or no results to show for it. Get ready to reduce, or possibly even eliminate, your need for medications with The Empty Medicine Cabinet!

• A medical professional who is seeking additional knowledge on how to implement lifestyle medicine and plant-based nutrition into their practice to help patients prevent, treat, and even reverse chronic disease(s). A solid array of evidence-based scientific and medical literature is provided to back up the benefits of proper nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices. This information is much more in depth (and practical) than what is currently offered in university programs and medical schools throughout the United States. The Empty Medicine Cabinet is ideal for physicians, pharmacists, nurses, chiropractors, naturopaths, dietitians, and many other healthcare professionals.

• An individual already living a plant-based (vegan/vegetarian) lifestyle wanting to improve their overall eating and lifestyle habits to achieve optimal health. Remember, just because it’s vegan doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy (i.e. potato chips, soda pop, French fries). 

How Can I Order the Book?

 You can learn more about The Empty Medicine Cabinet and order the book at www.TheEmptyMedicineCabinet.com/the-book/buy/.

You can also order the book from these fine retailers:

Amazon (paperback)

BarnesandNoble (paperback)

CS eStore (paperback)

Kindle (ebook)

Nook (ebook)

AppleiBooks (ebook)

Kobo (ebook)

In addition to the above, any bookstore or library, large or small, will have the ability to order paperback print editions by supplying them with the following information:

Title – The Empty Medicine Cabinet: The Pharmacist’s Guide to the Hidden Danger of Drugs and the Healing Powers of Food

Author – Dustin Rudolph, PharmD

ISBN – 978-0-9915490-1-6

Don't have an e-reading device to read my book? No problem! You can download one for free. The e-reading apps below work on most devices (desktop, laptop, tablets, etc.):

Kindle

Nook app

Apple iBooks app

Kobo app

Thank You and Help Me Spread the Word

I wish you a lifetime of excellent health and precious time spent with the ones you love. Please help me spread the word about The Empty Medicine Cabinet and let’s get this healthcare crisis turned around together.

Don’t forget, YOU are your own best weapon against sickness and disease. Half the battle is finding the right information to assist you in reaching your destination. The other half is doing it. The Empty Medicine Cabinet helps you accomplish both.

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 Human Digestive Process Dissected

Did you ever wonder what happens to your food once you swallow it? We’re all familiar with the fact that we need to eat food and drink water in order for our body to function properly, but what exactly happens after that tasty piece of blackberry-peach cobbler gets swallowed?

You’re about to find out, as I share with you a series of videos detailing the basic processes and biology of the human digestive system.

Some surprising pieces of information are detailed in these videos answering some common, yet, compelling questions we may not always think about when chowing down on that plate full of food. These bits of information include:

Five Conditions Linked With Metabolic Syndrome

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Look at the checklist below and make note if you have any of the follow conditions:

• High Triglycerides – 150 mg/dL or more.

• Low HDL Cholesterol - below 40 mg/dL for men and below 50 mg/dL for women.

• Abdominal Obesity – a waist circumference of 40” or more for men and 35” or more for women.

• High Blood Pressure – 130/85 or higher (or if you are taking high blood pressure medication).

• Elevated Fasting Blood Sugar – 100 mg/dL or more.

Fresh Mex Black Bean and Brown Rice Un-Burritos

Do you love Mexican food?

I do! I could eat Mexican cuisine everyday and die a happy man. I love my beans and rice. And salsa too. If this sounds good to you, then let me share with you one of my favorite "go-to" meals that I turn to at least once or twice a week.

It’s Easy to Start Eating Vegan! Yummy Plants 101 Book Review

Food plays a profound role in our individual lives, especially in terms of our health. It also plays a role in the future security of our planet, and all the creatures inhabiting it. It has now becoming widely known that adopting a plant-based (vegan) diet can positively impact the health and lives of all the world’s living creatures.

So how do we do it? How do you go from the typical Western diet of burgers, fries, pizza, and backyard barbecue fare to a diet of delicious, colorful, health-promoting plant foods?

Maybe you find yourself in this position. Maybe you’re ready for change. You’ve mentally determined that you are ready to make this change, but now what? Where do you turn for answers?

The Lean Meat “Health Advice” is a Big, Fat Lie and It’s Keeping America Sick

We’ve all heard it before, if you want to get healthy consume less red and processed meats and eat more lean meats (i.e. chicken, turkey, fish). Right?

Your neighbor, family members, friends, and even your doctor tell you to do this. It’s all over the media. You can’t go five minutes without hearing a commercial raving about the importance of getting enough lean protein for optimal health.

Is this true? Are chicken and fish the superfoods of proteins? How lean are these lean meats? What does this mean for you and your health?

You’ve probably pondered these questions in the past, and you’re about to find out the answers. But first, if you have questions about protein, in overall terms of the diet, then please read my article, 35 Ways to Counter the Vegan Protein Interrogation.

Boost Health With Booster Foods

Wakame Seaweed Salad

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

Booster foods are foods containing a high amount of phytonutrients which are needed to protect us from environmental toxins (car fumes, cigarette smoke, water, household cleaners), heavy metal contamination (mercury, lead, aluminum, iron, cadmium) and free radicals which damage our body’s cells. 

Below are some of the lesser known booster foods. Our defenses can be optimized by including the following booster foods in our diet:

How to Adopt a Plant-Based Lifestyle Even in the Middle of Nowhere

Adopting a healthy lifestyle can seem nearly impossible for many, especially when it comes to eating habits: I don’t have time; It’s too hard to find anything healthy; It’s too expensive.

These are just some of the excuses we throw out at some point when trying to convince ourselves that this new lifestyle is just not doable. All of these reasons can have some validity too, but only if you let them.

Vitamin B12 - Why You Should Never Go Plant-Based Without It

There are two vitamins not found naturally in plant foods⎯vitamin D and vitamin B12. Vitamin D is obtained via the sun. Not all people need to supplement with vitamin D. You can learn more about that topic in my article - Vitamin D: To Supplement or Not To Supplement?

Vitamin B12 is also absent from plant foods, at least unprocessed plant foods. It is only found in animal products such as meat, seafood, dairy products, and eggs.¹ There are many plant-based (vegan) food items which are fortified with B12⎯cereals, non-dairy milks, meat substitutes, and so forth. However, these usually come in the form of a package with many other not-so-healthy ingredients in them so they’re not always the best choice.

So who cares about vitamin B12? Why make such a big deal out of it?