Dr. Don & The Plant-Based Pharmacist - Vitamin D

Vitamin D - The Sunshine Vitamin

Dr. Don Wagner invited me to join him on his radio show once again! He's such a pleasure to work with and I'm always grateful to get the opportunity to do his show. This time we breakdown the topic of vitamin D and its role in maintaining excellent health.

As you may or may not know I'm one of the few pharmacists in the field of conventional medicine who's not a fan of pills whether they're obtained via the prescription pad or from buying them over-the-counter. I believe America has a pill obsession and it's only making our health worse. Instead I focus on educating others on the benefits of plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine which is why they call me the Plant-Based Pharmacist.

With that being said vitamin D is one of the few supplements/medications I feel everyone should seriously consider taking but only if their levels are low. Dr. Don and I do our very best to get to the bottom of this topic in the segment below as we provide some key insights into the world of vitamin D as it pertains to achieving a state of optimal health. I hope you find the show enjoyable and helpful!

Dr. Don show archive - Vitamin D from 2/16/2012

My article on How To Feel Vitamin "D"errific!

Photo credit: OBMonkey (sxu.hu)

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!

Eating Clean

Clean eating begins with colorful eating

Clean eating has become a trend in the past few years. A simple definition of clean eating is building a diet around whole, unprocessed foods: fresh fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, whole grains and lean proteins. Clean eating will require you to change the way you shop, as well as the way you see food in general. It doesn’t mean, however, that you’re stuck eating bean sprouts and wheatgrass. Here are five quick tips that can help you eat clean and enjoy every bite you take.

Proteins: Think outside the box

The Standard American Diet has changed drastically over the past few decades: a timeline published by the New York Times shows how industrialization has made foods full of refined sugars and fats cheap and widely available. The modern feedlot method has also made meat cheap to produce and buy, which means that American eaters tend to build meals around high-fat animal proteins.

Functional Medicine - The Future Is Now In 21st Century Medicine

Dr. Mark Hyman isn't one of those doctors who's eager to pass out pills and procedures like candy when patients come to see him for their medical problems. He doesn't care about "labeling" a set of symptoms just so people can finally put a name to whatever they're suffering from. He wants to do more than just this.

He wants to get to the root cause of his patient's problems. Instead of taking a backwards approach to treating diseases by throwing more drugs at them he takes a forward thinking approach of finding the underlying cause of these diseases and then targets those issues to better the lives of his patients. He practices what is known as Functional Medicine and hopes to help both patients and doctors view health and disease from a different perspective. This perspective focuses on long term solutions instead of short term relief from a medicine cabinet full of prescriptions.

He shares his personal story of discovering this new vision of what healthcare should look like in his speech at TEDMED 2010. His insights into the management of the emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing of a human being gives hope that one day our current medical system may finally realize that our conventional ways of compartmentalized thinking are outdated and in need of a major overhaul. The body is a whole system of interconnected parts that all affect one another. More pills are not the answer. More understanding and knowledge about this systemic approach is.

Photo credit: Editorjp (Wikimedia Commons)

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!

10 Tips for Making a Plant-Based Diet Affordable

Plant-based diets revolve around produce and whole foods, with little to no nutrients coming from animals. For those who know where to find the nutrients they need, this does not pose a problem. Plants can provide all of the nutrients people need to remain healthy and disease free. Because whole foods are sometimes more expensive than highly processed foods, it may take a little research to make vegan or vegetarian diets affordable. The following tips can help lower your grocery bill when implementing this healthy lifestyle.

1. Grow as much of your food as possible 

Growing and preserving fruits and vegetables can drastically cut down the cost of buying fresh from the produce section of the store. Frozen and canned foods maintain much of their nutritive value and you are sure of what they contain. There are no additives and preservatives that you don't know about.

2. Buy in bulk when you can 

Many times, a store will offer a promo code or coupon for a percentage off if a specific amount is purchased. Buying large quantities and storing it yourself can prevent unnecessary trips to the store.

3. For convenient pre-packaged foods, try shopping online 

These companies may also offer coupons or discounts if you decide to purchase their products in bulk. Online coupons can also be redeemed for extra savings.

Whole Perspective

Burger and fries - "SAD" diet of the past

by guest blogger Joseph Baker

I was raised on a Midwestern diet of hamburgers, French fries and frothing glasses of ice-cold milk. I once tried to go vegetarian. I gave up that weekend, when a friend unknowingly made me a steak dinner, causing me to promptly cave on my resolutions to eat healthier. This "meat and potatoes" attitude followed me throughout college, until last winter.

I was working out at the gym, and my trainer noticed that I was congested and unable to draw a full, deep breath without coughing. After questioning me about my diet, he recommended that I cut dairy completely out. I started to notice a difference within a week—namely, I felt less sluggish and congested. After researching the negative side effects of dairy, I stopped consuming dairy altogether, except the rare snack of cheese.

Vitamin B12 Supplements At A Glance

by guest blogger Boris Washington

What Is Vitamin B12 And Its Functions

Vitamin B12 is one of the most valuable vitamins in the Vitamin B complex. It plays an important role in the functioning of the brain and nervous system, production of proteins and red blood cells. Vitamin B12 is a water soluble vitamin and for that reason our body can’t store too much vitamin B12. This is why we have to take care of our vitamin B12 levels.

Who Should Take Supplements?

The best way to obtain the necessary doses of vitamin B12 is from food, but there are cases when people need to take supplements. This can happen either because they can’t absorb vitamin B12 from food due to some intestinal problems or diseases or because they don’t consume meat or dairy products. Accordingly, there are several groups of people who may experience vitamin B12 deficiency and need to take supplements:

• older people
• those who lack intrinsic factor protein
• strict vegetarians
• people affected with pernicious anemia
• people who use medications to reduce stomach acid

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.