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Avocado oil the olive oil of the Americas

April 29, 2012

Mexican researchers have recently proven that the nutrients in avocados fight free-radicals in the mitochondria. This is good news for anti-aging enthusiasts, but also for diabetics, hypertension sufferers, and others. Antioxidents from other produce are often unable to enter the mitochondria inside the cells, leaving free radicals continuing to do damage to the cell.

Christian Cortés-Rojo, a researcher at Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo in Morelia, Michoacán, México, emphasized that these findings reinforce the good reputation the avocado has when it comes to health maintenance. He points to pioneering research by Mario Alvizouri-Muñoz, a doctor at the Morelia General Hospital, who demonstrated that avocado lowers the blood concentration of cholesterol and certain fats that are increased in diabetic patients and that may lead to stroke or heart attack.

Sounds like it’s good for everyone, not just diabetics, et. al.

You certainly don’t have to tell me about the healthfulness of avocados! Avocados provide the good fats that those of us with degenerative nervous system diseases like multiple sclerosis need in abundance to help build and repair the nerves. Avocados were among the first foods I fed my babies because they are so good and good-for-you. As I’ve told many audiences in my speeches, you could live a long time on avocados alone. avocados health benefits

I often enjoy an avocado halved, sprinkled with sea salt, and scooped out with a spoon. My kids love it this way, too, though I’ll also dice it into salads or burritos. Mashed for guacamole, or blended for the base in a creamy salad dressing, are two more ways to use avocados. I even cook with avocados! Several Glorious One-Pot Meal recipe call for placing avocado slices inside the Dutch oven. As Amazon reviewer TacomaPat wrote:

“The California Chicken was wonderful. Who knew you could take a firm, ripe, sliced avocado and cook it at 450 degrees for 45 minutes and have it come out the same beautiful color and texture that it was when it went into the pot?”

Avocados are not only a delicious portable snack, but a true multi-use food with huge health benefits!

Aspartame free chewing gum

April 26, 2012

I have finally found a chewing gum I can feel good about: Pur Gum.

While I am not by any means a regular gum chewer, I like to give the kids some during take-off and landing on flights, and on other occasions here and there. The problem has been that every single gum sold in the regular supermarket, 7-11, or airport newsstand contains either aspartame or food dyes or both.

Aspartame has so permeated our food supply that even non-sugar-free gum, like Hubba Bubba or Wrigley’s JuicyFruit, contain high fructose corn syrup and aspartame, too. It’s like a double-whammy in a single piece of gum. The sugar-free gums are so packed with aspartame that I can’t get more than a couple chews in before I have to spit it out in disgust and rinse my mouth of the poisonous taste. Then I get a headache. I’m very sensitive to aspartame and I believe this is a factor in my MS story.

Food Dyes and Colors (FD&C), of course, are petroleum products that haven’t been reviewed for health and safety since 1931, when they were still being manufactured from coal. My son is so sensitive to red and yellow food dyes that if he eats them on an empty stomach he will throw up within 20 minutes. If he manages to hold the food dyes down, within eight hours he becomes a mean, violent, uncontrollable kid who is mad at the world until it works his way out of his system. It’s so not worth it for a few minutes of chewing pleasure.

Pur Gum is aspartame-free and food-dye free. It comes in Spearmint, Peppermint, and my fave, Pomegranate Mint.

If you’re a gum chewer, take a minute to check out the label on the packet and see what all they load into that little stick of chewing gum that then goes into your body. It just may be the cause of some of your ailments, too.

Coconut oil as hair conditioner

April 25, 2012

I love cooking with coconut oil for it’s healthful benefits, but I never thought of using it as a hair moisturizer until I read Dr. Mercola‘s suggestion to do so. He recommends applying the coconut oil on dry hair as a pre-wash treatment. When the hair gets wet, it expands and absorbs the saturated fat, retaining moisture for longer.

Dry, fly-away hair has plagued me for most of my life. In high school some called me “Frizzy Lizzie,” and it was for good reason. In an attempt to control the frizzies, I’ve long been a fan of oil treatments and have used almond oil, rosemary oil, avocado oil, and even hot olive oil on my hair, not to mention commercial products like Alberto VO5 Hot Oil Treatment. I decided to give the coconut oil a try. I used enough coconut oil — emulsified between my palms in small batches — to saturate my dry hair, and rubbed it into my scalp as well, then rinsed it out in the shower and finished with my regular conditioner.

I got a lot of compliments on my hair that day, even though I did not style it at all. It did feel like the hair held onto the coconut oil longer than it does with other oils, and I liked the silky effect on my curls. The hair did feel weightier, which is a desirable effect for me — maybe that was from the hair shaft absorbing the oil? My curls also stayed intact well throughout the day and my hair felt soft rather than stiff and crunchy, like with some hair products.

You can also use coconut oil as a styling lotion for setting hair.

Will insurance pay for food sensitivities testing?

April 23, 2012

Reader question: Any advice as to how I ask my physician (MD) to do the MRT – for food allergies (so my insurance may pay for it?). Thanks. ~ Lisa, Paradise, CA

Hi Lisa,

Here’s the situation:

Most physicians do not study nutrition in medical school or afterward. Additionally, they have limited time to meet with each patient. Hence, they do not have the time or knowledge to work with the tested patient to correctly design and manage a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet that is satisfying and sustainable enough to promise long-term results. Signet Diagnostic, the laboratory behind the MRT and the LEAP dietary management program, recognized that and instead of spending a lot of money hiring a sales force to visit physicians and educate them about the value of this test, they decided to work with Registered Dietitians, Nutritionists, and nutrition professionals to create Certified LEAP Therapists (CLT) who already understand the fundamentals and role of nutrition in overall health.

Some physicians are more holistic and understand the value of this testing and the efficacy of a customized dietary plan, but still don’t have the time needed to work together with a patient to customize a dietary plan. These physicians may authorize the blood draw (not all states require this) and the test, and then you can submit the bill to your insurance carrier and pay for the nutrition counseling separately.

Insurance carriers themselves are reluctant to pay for this test as it is not considered a standard medical procedure. As of now, there are only a couple carriers that will cover it at all. There is a form you can use for getting pre-authorization as the onus will be on you to work directly with your carrier before drawing your blood for the test. I’ve seen some carriers accept the MRT as an out-of-network laboratory test and then cover a small fraction of the $995 list price of the test only, leaving the patient with more out-of-pocket expenses than if they had simply signed up for the $795 package that includes the MRT and 3-5 nutritional counseling sessions as well as unlimited email support from a qualified nutrition expert. The first counseling session alone with a CLT like myself lasts 90 minutes — all devoted to helping you find the safest foods for your body. As a CLT, I get a discounted rate on the MRT, which allows me to pass the savings on to my clients.

If you have a flexible spending account, your CLT can submit a SuperBill that will allow you to deduct the funds from your account after you have fronted the payment.

In short, I only recommend pursuing payment by insurance if you feel it will be worth it as you will meet your deductible this calendar year, and then realize that you will still end up paying a significant portion out-of-pocket. The insurance companies will do everything in their power not to pay for this life-changing test because the the non-nutrition-educated medical establishment does not understand how effective it is for controlling inflammatory conditions when combined with a professionally designed dietary plan. They would prefer to cover a prescription for a pharmaceutical solution. If that worked for you, then I assume you wouldn’t have found your way to me.

I like to look at it this way: For less than $1,000 you could feel better for the rest of your life. Isn’t that worth it?

Bloated? Low energy? Could be food sensitivities!

April 20, 2012

Reader question: I suffer from bloated feeling very often, lack of energy, I constantly feel down and tired, it is very frustrating and annoying…..Can this be related to food sensitivity? If yes, what would you suggest to start with? Thank you.

This reader responded to a comment I left yesterday on Dr. Frank Lipman‘s blog post about food sensitivities. Here is my response:

Your symptoms do sound like they could be from food sensitivity reactions, though I would want to know more about your health and history before sounding definitive. You can try to keep a detailed food diary and see if you can correlate any symptoms, remembering that food sensitivity reactions are dose-dependent and may be delayed by as long as 4 days. If this doesn’t work for you, you should consider getting tested. You are welcome to contact me directly for more information.

I love this age of the phone, internet, and Skype as my practice is virtual and nationwide. I have some ability to treat clients outside the US depending on location. Let me know if I can help you feel better!

Avocado oil the olive oil of the Americas

Aspartame free chewing gum

Coconut oil as hair conditioner

Will insurance pay for food sensitivities testing?

Bloated? Low energy? Could be food sensitivities!

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