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?

9 Cancers That are Increased by Drinking Alcohol (Even in Moderation)

It’s been a long day at work, you’re tired, and nothing beats an ice-cold drink to wash away all of life’s stresses. Sound familiar? Many in today’s world love to unwind by having a drink or two at the end of their evening.

We commonly refer to this as casual or social drinking, being a light drinker, or drinking in moderation. Whatever you label it, there are some serious health risks that go along with this type of drinking. Namely, cancer.

Yes, I just said the ‘C’ word. While we’ve known for decades that heavy, chronic alcohol consumption leads to liver disease, including cirrhosis of the liver, our society is not as familiar with the fact that even light drinking* can lead to severe health consequences too.¹

3 Myths of Consuming "Healthy" Oils

Olive oil is heart healthy. Coconut oil performs miracles. Flaxseed oil is a healthy source of omega-3s. These are the health claims purported in internet articles and scientific articles across the globe with these oils and others.

Are they true? Do these oils actually come through as the end-all, cure-all for all our aches and pains? Can heart disease really be cured by simply consuming large amounts of olive oil in the diet? Does coconut oil reverse Alzheimer's disease?

The health claims associated with oils are tempting, but don't believe the hype. Today you are going to learn the answers to these questions and more as I break down three common myths purported as truths when it comes to "healthy" oils. You will also learn about fat in the human diet and how much is actually needed in order to maintain a finely-tuned human machine.

Overcome Overweight

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

According to Business Week Magazine, dieting in America is a $40 billion a year industry. For a majority of Americans, these diets don’t work and are a waste of money. People are looking for a quick fix, and when it comes to permanent weight loss, a quick fix won’t fix the problem of overweight. 

In fact, the quick fix diet can do more harm than good. When too few calories are eaten, muscle mass is reduced and much of the weight loss is water. Once off the diet, the body can go into a starvation response, leading to a weight gain of only fat. The American Psychological Association reviewed 31 diet studies and after two years, found up to a third of the dieters weighed more than when they began the diet.¹ Repeated failure at weight loss gives us a sense of failure and little hope of successful weight loss.

Dear Drug Company: Thanks, but I'll Pass on the Free Food

During pharmacy school, my classmates and I were promised a future with seemingly endless streams of cash - $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

In fact, I remember on several occasions when one of my pharmacy professors would bring this up in a joking, yet lighthearted manner each time we'd face a grueling assignment or exhaustive exam in his class. "Just remember, you make lots o' money one day as pharmacist," he'd say in his fun-loving, Southeast Asian accent, as he rubbed his index finger and thumb together towards us. He meant well and was a very nice man, one of our class favorites actually. He always seemed to make things more bearable while going through academic torture during those tough years in pharmacy school.

The Calcium Myth - More Is Not Better

Adopting a healthier lifestyle leads to a lot of questions. Adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet as part of a healthy lifestyle leads to even more questions. Aside from the question of, How do you get enough protein?, the question of How do you get enough calcium? is usually next on the minds of others.

Getting enough calcium without consuming dairy products can seem like an impossible feat for those unfamiliar with the science behind calcium and human nutritional needs. It's not as complex or difficult as it may seem though. Unfortunately, the dairy industry has marketed immense fear into the minds of both healthcare professionals and lay people that a severe calcium deficiency will unfold if you don't consume their products. This is not true. Allow me to explain.

The Role of Calcium in the Human Body

Calcium plays several roles in the human body besides its responsibilities in maintaining strong, healthy bones. Calcium helps regulate muscles contractions, blood clotting, cell to cell signaling, and proper functioning of the nervous system (nerve impulse transmissions) [1,2]. While less than one percent of calcium is used for non-skeletal functions, greater than ninety-nine percent of calcium can be found hard at work in the bones. Calcium provides our skeletal system with the strength it needs to support the human frame. Without it, we'd be limp noodles unable to stand up and walk around upright. Calcium is definitely a vital mineral.

Sugar Wars

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

A war going on in the courtroom between competitors you may not be aware of. Both parties are trying to convince you they are right and are fiercely competing for your dollars.

This is not just a sweet disagreement between two competitors. The Western Sugar Cooperative, which represents sugar growers and processors and the Corn Refiners Association, representing high fructose corn syrup manufacturers including Archer-Daniels Midland and Cargill, are in an all-out high stakes battle. In addition, each have spent millions of dollars on lobbying lawmakers in Washington, each attempting to discredit the other.

It’s a battle between the sugar industry and the corn refiners. And the stakes are high. We unknowingly eat a lot of sugar -150 pounds of sugar per year per person according to the USDA. (Picture thirty 5# bags of sugar in your cupboard!) Impossible you say? A form of sugar is present in nearly all packaged foods as well as in foods you may not think have added sugar including ketchup, yogurt, peanut butter, salad dressing, canned vegetables, and frozen foods.

The Plant-Based Pharmacist on Hawk Health Hour Radio Show

Recently, I had the pleasure of being Joel Chudnow's special guest on his weekly radio show, Hawk Health Hour. Joel has done over 800 health radio show segments to date and is very passionate about wholistic health.

Joel and I had a lot of fun during the show and hope it is entertaining and informative. Topics discussed were my upbringing in rural Montana, my pharmacy background, and a look into some of the most common chronic diseases that affect a wide spectrum of the population such as heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and more.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

**Note** - Joel asked me about supplements at the end of the show. We had only a few minutes left. I did not get a chance to mention that I encourage and recommend that those on a plant-based diet take a Vitamin B12 daily. Other than that, supplements have not been shown to make a meaningful or significant difference in improving chronic diseases and overall health. What's more, some supplements increase your risk of cancer. To learn more check out my webpage - Supplement Wisely.

Heart Health - Statins vs Diet

February is American Heart Month and everybody is going red in support of building healthy hearts. There's fundraisers, walks for the cure, and even activities to teach kids about healthy hearts. While these events are a great way to raise money and awareness for cardiovascular disease, many of them fall far short of spreading the message that truly needs to be heard to rid ourselves of this devastating disease.

The video below is a portion of my lecture on using drugs vs diet for the prevention, treatment, and reversal of cardiovascular disease. I discuss the evidence-based data from clinical trials on both treatment approaches allowing you to see how well (or not) each approach works in tackling the number one killer in the world—cardiovascular disease.

Become a Certified CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) Facilitator

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

If you read Dustin’s “Pursue a Healthy You” on a regular basis, you are one of the thousands of people seeking good scientifically-proven information to educate yourself on what you can do to regain or preserve your good health. If you would like to share your passion for health and wellness with others, now you can.

CHIP (Complete Health Improvement Program) is a wellness program that teaches people how to make better lifestyle choices to slow down, stop, and reverse many chronic diseases as well as maintain good health.

Published in more than 20 peer-reviewed medical journals, CHIP is a results-based wellness video program facilitated at workplaces and in communities.  With over 50,000 graduates, CHIP has shown people how to have the “best life” through good health.

Type 1 Diabetes - Avoiding Dairy Is Key To Prevention

Diabetes is a very serious and complex disease. It carries with it several other complications during its progression including increased risks of heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease, blindness, neuropathy (nerve damage), serious skin infections (i.e. gangrene) leading to lower limb amputations, and even premature death [1]. Needless to say, it’s not something to take lightly.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common type, but type 1 diabetes accounts for 5%-10% of all cases worldwide [2]. Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed during childhood. Hence, the term juvenile-onset diabetes. It is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes because it requires lifelong insulin therapy. Its prevalence has been increasing worldwide, and it also affects many in the United States. It is believed to affect 1 in 300 children by the age of eighteen in America.

The diagnosis of type 1 diabetes typically increases in incidence from birth to early teen years, peaking at ages 10-14. However, it can also develop in adults, specifically for those in their late 30’s and early 40’s.

Loving Your Liver

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

I would guess all of us have read something recently about heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol, exercise, type II diabetes, weight loss programs, or the latest superfoods. Anyone read anything about the liver lately? Thought not. Although the liver is a topic not often written about, it is an amazing organ that sadly doesn’t get the publicity it is due.

The Chinese call the liver “the father of all organs” for a very good reason. The responsibilities of the liver are too numerous to mention here - over 500! Just to name a few, at this moment our liver is cleaning our blood, regulating blood clotting, converting fats, proteins, and carbohydrates into energy and nutrients, and helping our body to resist infection. It is regulating many of our body’s functions including that of cholesterol, the supply of essential vitamins and minerals, and the balance of many hormones. It is producing bile that breaks down fats and is eliminating fat-soluble toxins and excess hormones.

The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide - Book Review

As 2014 gets underway so do the goals of many individuals finally promising to make good on adopting healthier lifestyle habits. This is the year that you’re going to get fit and drop the extra pounds you always wanted to. You’re tired of being tired and sick of being sick. You know that diet and exercise are your keys to success, but where do you start?

With so much confusion on what constitutes a healthy diet it can be a huge undertaking to say the least to sort it all out. Thankfully, Holly Yzquierdo has already done this for you in her new ebook The Plant-Based Diet Starter Guide: How To Cook, Shop and Eat Well. I had the pleasure of reading Holly’s newly released book recently and wanted to share my thoughts.

Bring On 2014!

by guest blogger Jody Perrecone

This year drew quickly to an end.  I don’t know about you, but for the last two weeks of 2013, my inbox was inundated with appeals to make last minute tax-deductible donations to charitable organizations that will help among other things preserve the arts, stop cruelty towards animals, improve the environment, save the bees, advance living conditions in third world countries, and support cancer research. Giving to a nonprofit organization at year end is the final opportunity for us to give to meaningful causes and at the same time do what we can to reduce our tax bill.  I have taken the time review my checklist once again - can I add to a deductible IRA account?  Do I have records confirming my business costs so they can be deducted? What else can I do to reduce the amount of taxes I owe? As with all of us, I want to maximize deductions to minimize my tax burden. (Yes, this is a blog on health and wellness - read on!)

5 Prescriptions For Optimal Health (Plus a Bonus Tip)

We’ve become dependent on prescription medications in the U.S. This is a fact. A Mayo Clinic report published in July of 2013 says so. Over a 12-month period, 68.1% of all Americans received a prescription from at least 1 drug group, 51.6% received prescriptions from 2 or more drug groups, and 21.2% received prescriptions from five or more drug groups [1]. To say it another way, we’ve become a nation of pill poppers desperate for answers to our most pressing health concerns. 

Now turn back the clock a bit as I enlighten you with a glimpse into my personal background. At the turn of the 21st century, I found myself sitting in a university classroom trying with all my might not to nod off, as I gazed half asleep at my college professor lecturing intensely in the front of the room. He was describing in great detail how zero- and first-order kinetics of various types of drugs required separate algorithms to calculate their final half-lives and serum concentrations. (Now you understand why I was trying not to nod off!) Had I known back then that my professor’s valiant teaching efforts—well-intentioned as they may be—would largely prove inadequate in my efforts to bring health to others as a pharmacist, I would’ve undoubtedly found a different classroom to sit in. I was, however, naive to the point of understanding the actual shortcomings of the pharmaceutical world as they existed. And so I carried on.