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Rather than give you a nice cohesive report on a single health topic, I decided this month to write a bit about a number of different trendy foods. If you’re a foodie, a health nut, or shop at natural grocery stores, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with most of these items. Whether you’ve heard of these things or not, I hope to share with you some important details that will help you make more informed decisions about them.
Himalayan Pink Salt: We’ve been eating it and using it in our footbaths at the Dragontree for years. Pink salt is also an important ingredient in certain Ayurvedic medicines. To me, it is more flavorful than regular table salt. And it’s become popular in large blocks as cutting boards, lamps, and cooking trays (you can, for instance, bake a fish on a slab of pink salt and it imparts a nice flavor).
Salt has unfortunately been demonized due to its occasional ability to raise blood pressure, but it’s quite vital for many of our organs to function optimally. (I'm of the opinion that anyone with normal or low blood pressure who craves salt probably needs more of it.) In terms of its mineral analysis, pink salt supplies all sorts of beneficial minerals that don’t occur in regular table salt (which is just sodium and chloride, and often contains anti-caking chemicals). I also like sea salts for many of the same reasons, although it may be worth considering where it comes from (ideally from unpolluted water, free of mercury, oil, nuclear radiation, etc.).
There’s just one problem with using pink salt as your everyday salt. It doesn’t have much iodine in it, and most people don’t get enough of this important mineral. It has a wide range of functions in the human body - most notably in the formation of thyroid hormone. Commercial table salt is Americans' main source of iodine. It’s added to salt because salt does a good job of masking iodine’s metallic flavor. So, if you’ve switched over to pink salt, consider eating more iodine rich foods, such as seaweeds (kelp, dulse, nori, etc.) and fish, or make sure there’s iodine in your multivitamin. You can also alternate between pink salt and a high quality iodized sea salt (I haven't yet seen iodized pink salt).
Quinoa: Quinoa is so hot right now, you’d think it was more special than it is. Yes, for a grain, it contains about 8 grams of protein per cup, which is kind of a lot. (Some people like to jump in here and point say it’s a seed, not a grain. Whatever.) The main thing is it’s a starchy seed that has a decent amount of protein. It has a slightly bitter and unique flavor that some people quite like and others don’t. It’s not as versatile as rice, in my opinion, but is less of a simple carbohydrate, which makes it significantly healthier. The drawback of our new love affair with this seed is that in the few high altitude places where most of it is grown – such as Peru and Bolivia – and where it has been a dietary staple for centuries, the locals can no longer afford it. We need to cut down on it and/or find some new places to grow it.
Agave Nectar: If you read my articles with any regularity, you’ve probably heard me rant about this stuff. It’s a super popular sweetener, cleverly marketed in a way that makes it appear to be relatively healthy and natural. Surely, it must be better than table sugar – it’s “nectar” after all. Sorry. It’s garbage. Almost always highly processed and quite similar in composition to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave nectar actually contains more fructose than HFCS. So often, I’ve been scanning the ingredients of a new product that seems to be otherwise healthy when – doh! – they put agave nectar in there. Back on the shelf.
Therapeutic Drinks: More and more, I see drinks in the supermarket that claim to enhance mental clarity, improve energy, promote calm, stoke libido, balance chakras, and build muscles. These products are virtually all hype. I can barely think of a legal substance that’s capable of enhancing mental focus or energy on a single-serving basis. Except caffeine. And they usually have some of that in there, too. A single dose of B vitamins (and usually a small dose at that) in your very sweet Smart “Water” isn’t going to do anything for you. It definitely isn’t healthy enough to offset the negative impact of all the sugar they put in there. Save your money and stick with real water. Or try some green tea – a fad that’s actually worth the attention.
Gluten Free Snacks and Treats: There is nothing intrinsically healthier about a gluten free food versus one with gluten in it, unless you have a known problem digesting gluten. Unfortunately, since the awareness of gluten sensitivity has risen mainly in the health-nut community, many people have come to assume that gluten free means healthy. A vegan, gluten free cookie is still a cookie and likely has way more sugar than your body needs or wants (the unhealthiest part of a cookie is the sweetener, not the gluten). Gluten-free macaroni and cheese is still just a bunch of salty starch with close to zero nutritional value. Gluten free pretzels or crackers are just empty calories. So, if you need to avoid gluten and you must have macaroni, crackers, and cookies, by all means, get the gluten free kind. Just remember you’re still eating cookies, crackers, and macaroni.
Greek Yogurt: Real Greek yogurt is made by repeatedly straining yogurt to maximize the protein content, which makes it thicker and creamier. Some “Greek style” yogurts are thickened instead with pectin or other gels, and I consider these fake Greek yogurts. The Greek Gods brand is the most popular fake Greek “style” yogurt. If you consume Greek Yogurt for the extra protein, read the label. Look for high protein (like 20 or more grams per cup). A nice benefit of Greek yogurt is, where regular yogurt that has no milk fat tends not to be very creamy, even the fat free Greek yogurt is quite creamy.
I don't advocate avoiding fat, but some fats are better than others. Pasteurized milkfat from grain-fed cows is not the best, and in many people it tends to promote phlegm production. I'm one of those people, but for me, fat-free Greek yogurt suits my body rather well. If they both taste good to you, I recommend the fat-free kind (get your good fats from other sources). Also, make sure it’s either organic or at least free of bovine growth hormone (rBst / rBGH).
Goat: Goat is consumed by 70% of the meat-eating world. It’s the world's most popular meat! And it’s now becoming a more popular option in the U.S. Good quality goat (also known as chevon or mutton, and the young meat is cabrito or capretto) tastes like premium lamb. It’s a nice lean and healthy meat.
It's also a good alternative to beef. Unlike mass produced beef, goats are generally allowed to graze on grass, which means healthier, tastier meat (cows usually eat corn and soybeans, which is not just unnatural, but bad for the animal and the final product). In addition, our appetite for beef has been quite destructive to the world, through the razing of rainforest for pasture land, the pesticide- and resource-heavy production of corn for their feed, and the ozone depleting effect of cow flatulence (seriously!), so it’s worth embracing any palatable alternative.
Finally, remember this: just because it’s over-priced and on the shelves of Whole Foods, doesn’t make it good for you. There is plenty of unhealthy stuff even at “health food” stores, including nearly everything in the bakery section. Be a wise consumer, especially when it comes to selecting things you’ll put in (or on) your body.
Take care,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => Tidbits on Trends
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This month’s theme is nutrition, and I started the series by explaining that, while we have greatly improved humans’ odds of surviving childhood, we haven’t made as much progress in prolonging the lives of older people. Old people tend to die of conditions that are long in the making, and there aren’t many ways to intervene in these processes near the end of life. The biggest value in life extension comes from adopting good habits earlier, such as healthy eating, exercise, and a spiritual or meditative practice.
Last week I compared the body to a car, and asserted that fuel quality isn’t everything. We always hear about what we should and shouldn’t eat, but how our fuel is introduced to the body is as important to our health as the fuel itself. (You can read part one and part two.) Previously, we looked at food preparation and the vital role of the mouth; now let’s travel a bit further down the rabbit hole. (Note: the gastrointestinal tract is not an actual rabbit hole; we do not condone swallowing live rabbits.)
Food goes in your mouth, travels down a tube called the esophagus, and pushes through a ring of muscle known as the lower esophageal sphincter (or LES) to enter your stomach. The LES is vital for keeping the top of your stomach closed, so food doesn’t back up and stomach acid doesn’t burn the lining of your esophagus. When you overfill your stomach, at least four bad things happen – it stretches the stomach, it promotes weight gain, it compromises digestion, and it puts lots of back pressure on the LES.
A stretched stomach is a feature of every overweight person. Fullness of the stomach is not a healthy way to gauge when to stop eating. If you routinely fill your stomach to capacity, it will inevitably expand, and you’ll need to eat more to get that full feeling. There’s a perceptible difference between enough and full, and enough is usually much less than full. Okinawans, known for their longevity, have a cultural practice of eating to just 80% of capacity. At 80% full, you will not be hungry, although you may convince yourself that you are, being used to that full stomach feeling. Undereating promotes longer life.
If the stomach is packed, it’s like an overly full washing machine. The clothes don’t circulate – they just get damp and wrinkly. Likewise, we don’t digest our best when the stomach is filled to capacity. A history of overeating tends to deplete the stomach, which can result in insufficient acid secretion. We need lots of acid to digest food (especially protein, minerals, and vitamin B12), to stimulate emptying of the stomach, to quickly dismantle potential allergens, and to kill bacteria and viruses that may have entered the GI tract. Low stomach acid is very common among older adults. I usually give patients hydrochloric acid in a form called betaine hydrochloride, though I’ve encountered many who have gotten good results from using apple cider vinegar in capsules or taken in some water.
If we frequently cram the stomach, the LES tends to become less competent at staying tightly closed. Especially when combined with shallow breathing, low stomach acid, sitting a lot, frequently wearing a tight belt or seat belt, and having a big belly, the result is acid reflux – AKA heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but a lot more people get acid reflux than in the past. When I began my practice, I didn’t encounter it that much. Now it seems every other patient is on an acid blocking drug. One reason is that portion sizes have increased and mealtimes have gotten shorter and less relaxed, so we eat both more and faster.
Sometimes a person with a history of acid reflux will develop pre-cancerous changes in their esophagus known as Barrett’s Esophagus, and in these cases, an acid blocker might be prudent (though I still recommend fixing the cause of the reflux). For everyone else, they are a bad idea except for occasional use. Over time, all of the functions of stomach acid I mentioned above can be expected to become compromised – nutrient absorption, killing of pathogens, breaking down allergens, etc. We’re already starting to see unusually high rates of uncommon infections in people on these drugs. There are lots of better and more natural approaches for relief, such as d-limonene, which comes from orange peel oil, and soothes and protects the esophagus. But the best thing you can do is to eat less food, do it slowly, prepare it as I explained in the last article, and chew thoroughly. It will not only improve your health, it will also bring you back to specialness that is the ritual of nourishing yourself.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
P.S. After years of teaching people about nutrition, I recently decided to create an online video-based nutrition course called How to Eat. If you’re interested in learning more about nutrition, including both Eastern and Western points of view, I encourage you to check it out. My goal is to have participants gain a lifelong, intuitive understanding of how to feed themselves, and to learn how to eat for optimal energy and weight. You can check it out here.
[post_title] => The Difference Between Stomachs and Balloons
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In the past month's series on nutrition, I explained how the manner in which we eat can affect us as much as our food choices can. We looked at the vital roles that cooking and chewing play in digestion, and the importance of eating slowly and not too much. And I described the digestive tract from the mouth to the stomach. I think it’s important that everyone understands at least the basics of how their organs work, so let's look at the rest of the digestive tract this time.
Although we may have teeth and reality TV, we’re more like worms than we like to think. We’re all just a bunch of cylinders, with a tube of the outside world running through us. Worms put dirt in theirs, we put marshmallows in ours.
After the mouth, esophagus, and stomach, food enters the small intestine, which is about 23 feet long. It's where most nutrient absorption takes place, and all the value of good nutrition hinges on good absorption. At the beginning of the small intestine, a bunch of gastric juice is injected from the pancreas and gallbladder, which neutralizes the acidic food coming from the stomach, and makes the nutrients more absorbable. The pancreas produces a blend of digestive enzymes that break down the different components of food - fat, carbohydrates, and protein. The gallbladder squirts out bile (which is produced in the liver) to make fats absorbable.
The lining of the small intestine is composed of many folds, covered with tiny hair-like protrusions called villi (which are further covered with tinier hairs called microvilli). These greatly increase the surface area of the small intestine to maximize nutrient absorption. Some inflammatory conditions, such as celiac disease (gluten intolerance) and bacterial overgrowth of the small intestine (SIBO) can damage this membrane, leading to malnutrition.
The small intestine is followed by the much shorter but wider large intestine (most of which is called the colon). Food spends a very long time in the large intestine, where water and some remaining nutrients are absorbed, and stool is compacted and waits to be liberated. Finally, the stuff we can’t digest, along with waste products from throughout the body, leaves the rectum as stool. About 60 percent of its dry weight is bacteria.
Where does it come from? Riding along with us in our intestines are about 100 trillion microorganism passengers. There are about 500 different kinds, most of which are bacteria. They’re known as our “gut flora,” and they do all sorts of useful things for us, such as helping us digest things, protecting us from harmful microbes, synthesizing some vitamins, stimulating growth of intestinal cells, and assisting the immune system. We acquire these microscopic pals by eating food that’s contaminated with them or deliberately cultured with them (like yogurt and sauerkraut), and by taking them in supplements known as probiotics.
So, as we’ve seen, our environment (what we select from it based on taste) literally passes through us. We make the outside world into ourselves. It’s a practice worth taking seriously. Besides the healthy eating practices I discussed previously, some of the main factors in good absorption are having enough gastric juice, having healthy gastric membranes, having a strong and healthy population of gut flora, and having a relaxed nervous system.
Cultivating a relaxed nervous system has many additional benefits, so spend time in nature, eat in a calm environment, get massages, meditate, do whatever works for you to become peaceful. As for gastric juice, insufficient enzyme secretion is pretty common. Consider a good digestive enzyme complex, taken at the beginning of a meal. I’ve had at least a hundred patients who have overcome longstanding digestive problems just by supplementing for a while with digestive enzymes. Some people who have trouble digesting fat do well to take a product that also contains ox bile. Finally, promote healthy gut flora by eating live, fermented/cultured foods on a regular basis, and occasionally taking a course of probiotics (especially after using antibiotics).
If you’re interested in learning more about the big picture of eating and nutrition, check out the four week course I developed for The Dragontree, called How to Eat.
Be well,
Dr. Peter Borten
[post_title] => Basic Vehicle Maintenance, Part Three: Know Your Insides
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Rather than give you a nice cohesive report on a single health topic, I decided this month to write a bit about a number of different trendy foods. If you’re a foodie, a health nut, or shop at natural grocery stores, you’ll undoubtedly be familiar with most of these items. Whether you’ve heard of these things or not, I hope to share with you some important details that will help you make more informed decisions about them.
Himalayan Pink Salt: We’ve been eating it and using it in our footbaths at the Dragontree for years. Pink salt is also an important ingredient in certain Ayurvedic medicines. To me, it is more flavorful than regular table salt. And it’s become popular in large blocks as cutting boards, lamps, and cooking trays (you can, for instance, bake a fish on a slab of pink salt and it imparts a nice flavor).
Salt has unfortunately been demonized due to its occasional ability to raise blood pressure, but it’s quite vital for many of our organs to function optimally. (I'm of the opinion that anyone with normal or low blood pressure who craves salt probably needs more of it.) In terms of its mineral analysis, pink salt supplies all sorts of beneficial minerals that don’t occur in regular table salt (which is just sodium and chloride, and often contains anti-caking chemicals). I also like sea salts for many of the same reasons, although it may be worth considering where it comes from (ideally from unpolluted water, free of mercury, oil, nuclear radiation, etc.).
There’s just one problem with using pink salt as your everyday salt. It doesn’t have much iodine in it, and most people don’t get enough of this important mineral. It has a wide range of functions in the human body - most notably in the formation of thyroid hormone. Commercial table salt is Americans' main source of iodine. It’s added to salt because salt does a good job of masking iodine’s metallic flavor. So, if you’ve switched over to pink salt, consider eating more iodine rich foods, such as seaweeds (kelp, dulse, nori, etc.) and fish, or make sure there’s iodine in your multivitamin. You can also alternate between pink salt and a high quality iodized sea salt (I haven't yet seen iodized pink salt).
Quinoa: Quinoa is so hot right now, you’d think it was more special than it is. Yes, for a grain, it contains about 8 grams of protein per cup, which is kind of a lot. (Some people like to jump in here and point say it’s a seed, not a grain. Whatever.) The main thing is it’s a starchy seed that has a decent amount of protein. It has a slightly bitter and unique flavor that some people quite like and others don’t. It’s not as versatile as rice, in my opinion, but is less of a simple carbohydrate, which makes it significantly healthier. The drawback of our new love affair with this seed is that in the few high altitude places where most of it is grown – such as Peru and Bolivia – and where it has been a dietary staple for centuries, the locals can no longer afford it. We need to cut down on it and/or find some new places to grow it.
Agave Nectar: If you read my articles with any regularity, you’ve probably heard me rant about this stuff. It’s a super popular sweetener, cleverly marketed in a way that makes it appear to be relatively healthy and natural. Surely, it must be better than table sugar – it’s “nectar” after all. Sorry. It’s garbage. Almost always highly processed and quite similar in composition to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave nectar actually contains more fructose than HFCS. So often, I’ve been scanning the ingredients of a new product that seems to be otherwise healthy when – doh! – they put agave nectar in there. Back on the shelf.
Therapeutic Drinks: More and more, I see drinks in the supermarket that claim to enhance mental clarity, improve energy, promote calm, stoke libido, balance chakras, and build muscles. These products are virtually all hype. I can barely think of a legal substance that’s capable of enhancing mental focus or energy on a single-serving basis. Except caffeine. And they usually have some of that in there, too. A single dose of B vitamins (and usually a small dose at that) in your very sweet Smart “Water” isn’t going to do anything for you. It definitely isn’t healthy enough to offset the negative impact of all the sugar they put in there. Save your money and stick with real water. Or try some green tea – a fad that’s actually worth the attention.
Gluten Free Snacks and Treats: There is nothing intrinsically healthier about a gluten free food versus one with gluten in it, unless you have a known problem digesting gluten. Unfortunately, since the awareness of gluten sensitivity has risen mainly in the health-nut community, many people have come to assume that gluten free means healthy. A vegan, gluten free cookie is still a cookie and likely has way more sugar than your body needs or wants (the unhealthiest part of a cookie is the sweetener, not the gluten). Gluten-free macaroni and cheese is still just a bunch of salty starch with close to zero nutritional value. Gluten free pretzels or crackers are just empty calories. So, if you need to avoid gluten and you must have macaroni, crackers, and cookies, by all means, get the gluten free kind. Just remember you’re still eating cookies, crackers, and macaroni.
Greek Yogurt: Real Greek yogurt is made by repeatedly straining yogurt to maximize the protein content, which makes it thicker and creamier. Some “Greek style” yogurts are thickened instead with pectin or other gels, and I consider these fake Greek yogurts. The Greek Gods brand is the most popular fake Greek “style” yogurt. If you consume Greek Yogurt for the extra protein, read the label. Look for high protein (like 20 or more grams per cup). A nice benefit of Greek yogurt is, where regular yogurt that has no milk fat tends not to be very creamy, even the fat free Greek yogurt is quite creamy.
I don't advocate avoiding fat, but some fats are better than others. Pasteurized milkfat from grain-fed cows is not the best, and in many people it tends to promote phlegm production. I'm one of those people, but for me, fat-free Greek yogurt suits my body rather well. If they both taste good to you, I recommend the fat-free kind (get your good fats from other sources). Also, make sure it’s either organic or at least free of bovine growth hormone (rBst / rBGH).
Goat: Goat is consumed by 70% of the meat-eating world. It’s the world's most popular meat! And it’s now becoming a more popular option in the U.S. Good quality goat (also known as chevon or mutton, and the young meat is cabrito or capretto) tastes like premium lamb. It’s a nice lean and healthy meat.
It's also a good alternative to beef. Unlike mass produced beef, goats are generally allowed to graze on grass, which means healthier, tastier meat (cows usually eat corn and soybeans, which is not just unnatural, but bad for the animal and the final product). In addition, our appetite for beef has been quite destructive to the world, through the razing of rainforest for pasture land, the pesticide- and resource-heavy production of corn for their feed, and the ozone depleting effect of cow flatulence (seriously!), so it’s worth embracing any palatable alternative.
Finally, remember this: just because it’s over-priced and on the shelves of Whole Foods, doesn’t make it good for you. There is plenty of unhealthy stuff even at “health food” stores, including nearly everything in the bakery section. Be a wise consumer, especially when it comes to selecting things you’ll put in (or on) your body.
Take care,
Dr. Peter Borten
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Love this. Living in a metropolis with long, early days, it’s easy to forget to take care of your body. I love getting these reminders, even if I’m a long way from living the kind of life I dream of. ❤️
I’ve always preferred bitter flavors to sour ones. Two of my favorite vegetables are broccoli rabe (also known as bitter broccoli) and dandelion. I just never knew how good for me they are!
Hi Peter,
One thing I always wonder about citrus bitters is whether we need to be concerned about pesticides. Since these bitters are made from the skin/peel of the fruit, I imagine they would be more likely than the fruit itself to potentially have high concentrations of chemicals. Obviously, we should wash the fruits well but do we know anything about chemical concentrations in bitters? Thx.
Best,
Stuart
Hi Stuart.
I don’t know about pesticide residue levels on citrus fruits, but would agree that the peel would be the part to be concerned about. Washing might not remove it – I’d say it’s better to use organically grown citrus or at least pesticide free.
Be well,
Peter
So I love the article on bitter being added to our taste buds. It is refreshing. I share the pesticide concern however in my researching that topic I have found two solutions.
1.I buy only Organic lemons, oranges grapefruit asI no pesticides! If you purchase non-organic you can use a “fruit wash” to remove pesticides. It can be purchased on line, at Whole Foods & some grocery stores. They have regular and organic “fruit & veggie wash”. I was all of my fruits & veggies this way. Hope this helps!!!
Not sur my first response went through so I will be brief. Using Organic fruits will eliminate pesticide concerns. Also if you us a “fruit & veggie” wash ( can be purchased on line, Whole Foods or some grocery stores) Washing fruits & veggies with that will address the chemical/pesticide issue. Hope this helps!
this was excellent . Thank you.