Category Archives: Live Longer Lose Weight

Yes, You CAN Slow Down Aging

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

September 20, 2021

There was recently a CBS news report that I found fascinating. They identified a dozen doctors still practicing medicine here in the U.S. who are at least 100 years old!

One of the physicians, a World War II Navy veteran said, “Well, I never wanted to quit, that’s my problem.”

It probably wasn’t even a week later when I heard about a 101-year-old Maine lobster woman. She still gets up at 4:45 in the morning three times each week. The she heads out in the boat to work with the lobsters collected from her 200 lobster pots. Continue reading

What Color of Food Do You Eat?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

April 9, 2021

It’s an odd thing.

Humans have been eating fruits and vegetables for thousands of years. All kinds and colors of them, and in great quantity.

Today we don’t eat fruits and veggies that way.

First off, we don’t eat nearly as much colorful plant-based foods as we used to, even from a few generations ago. Continue reading

What do Hydroxychloroquine and Green Tea have in Common?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

March 19, 2021

I drink two to three cups of green tea each day.

I like to mix and match them. I have matcha green tea in the morning, a jasmine green tea mid to late morning and then in the afternoon I’ll go with one that’s decaffeinated. (That way I won’t have the caffeine in my system at bedtime.)

It’s not just the flavor I’m looking for, it’s all of the health benefits that green tea offers.

It helps wake you up. It gives you focus and energy. Green tea is great for your memory, cardiovascular system and helps keep your blood sugar steady. It can even support weight loss.

But these days, there’s another reason why I’m drinking several cups green tea each day, and you should be drinking it to.

That’s because there’s something you probably don’t know about green tea. Most people don’t.

Green Tea in the Battle against Viral Infections

Do you remember when everyone was talking about hydroxychloroquine last year?

The reason it got so much attention is because hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) acts as something called an ionophore. What an ionophore does is facilitate the transport of things through the cell membrane into the cell.

Specifically, the researchers wanted HCQ to bring zinc into the cells. That’s because you need zinc in your white blood cells to help fight off viruses like Covid-19.

It was a good idea, but the drug had a lot of side effects. Some of them were life threatening, and not really something you would want to deal with.

Well guess what else is an ionophore?

Green tea!

It’s true. Green tea is a natural ionophore.

When you take your zinc with green tea, you’ll get more zinc into your white blood cells where it can help protect you from any potential viral infections.

You can thank epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) for this. Green tea is abundant in this catechin, which acts as an ionophore and has extremely positive effects on your health. EGCG is such a potent healer that it even works at a genetic level to turn on genes that protect you from cancer.

So everything about green tea is great. I highly recommend two or three cups a day.

When you make it, I suggest using loose, organic tea leaves. These often contain higher levels EGCG. You might also try something like The Republic of Tea’s organic choices. Be sure to go for the unbleached tea bags.

And, in case you’re wondering about green tea supplements… I recommend you stay away. There have been some reports of liver problems when people overdo it with these supplements.

Are there any other natural Ionophores?

While I prefer the power of the EGCG in green tea, there is another flavonoid that can act as a natural ionophore and give your immune system an additional boost.

It’s quercetin. I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It’s the potent antioxidant associated with onions and garlic.  You can also find it in other foods that you eat every day.

Chili peppers, kale, spinach, asparagus and broccoli are some of the vegetables that contain quercetin. Fruits include cranberries, cherries and blueberries.

While you can certainly add more of these foods to your diet, it might not be enough to truly support ionophoric activity. But it’s easy enough to supplement with 200 to 500 mg of quercetin twice a day with meals. Look for a supplement that also contain bromelain to improve absorption.

Sources:

Xue J, et al. Chloroquine Is a Zinc Ionophore. PLoS One. 2014; 9(10): e109180.

Carlucci PM, et al. Zinc sulfate in combination with a zinc ionophore may improve outcomes in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. J Med Microbiol. 2020 Oct;69(10):1228-1234.

Nandakumar V, et al. (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate reactivates silenced tumor suppressor genes, Cip1/p21 and p16INK4a, by reducing DNA methylation and increasing histones acetylation in human skin cancer cells. Carcinogenesis. 2011 Apr;32(4):537-44.

Fasting or Calorie Restriction? Which Works Better?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

March 8, 2021

How do I lose weight? 

It’s one of the most common questions I’m asked as a doctor.  Really, there’s no cut and dry answer.

And when you consider than 72% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese, you know it’s a very important question to ask.[1] Continue reading

You’ll want more of this fat in your body

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

February 26, 2021

Ever seen those crazy people who do polar bear plunges?

They’re not hard to find.  In fact, if you head to Canada on New Year’s Day, you’ll find them leaping into the icy waters near their homes.

But this practice isn’t just for our neighbors up North. Continue reading

A Good Reason to Just Stop… and Breathe

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

January 20, 2021

There’s no doubt the human brain is pretty fantastic. Add in elements of spirituality… and things become even more astounding.

Just look at the monks of Tibet.

When they are ready to test out of apprenticeship, they sit completely naked with their bodies wrapped in cold, wet sheets.  Then, they are left in freezing temperatures to sit. Continue reading

Should You Be Taking a Digestive Enzyme?

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

January 4, 2021

You are what you eat, right?

Well… not actually.  You are what you digest.

If your body isn’t able to break down the food you put in your mouth, it’s not going to do you any good.

This can become an issue as you age. Continue reading

Eight Oranges a Day…

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

December 30, 2020

Here’s a shocking fact …

It would take eight oranges today to get the same amount of Vitamin A your grandparents got from one. [1]

That should alarm you… it sure alarms me! Continue reading

Fool Your Body So It Thinks It’s Not Eating

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

December 9, 2020

Did you ever think about the word “breakfast?”

It actually makes sense.  Every day, when you eat your first meal, you are “breaking” your overnight “fast.”

Most people choose to have this meal in the morning. But some people — like myself — actually wait for much later in the day before they eat. Continue reading

Hard Health Lessons from a Disney Cartoon

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness

December 7, 2020

I love spending time with my grandson.  He’s only 6-years-old, but we have a lot of fun hanging out.

While we’re together, I also do my best to help him learn good habits…

After a recent week of visiting, he knows to climb out of bed each morning and do some light stretching. He even knows to try a few push-ups to strengthen his body before he starts his day…and walking the dog every morning with mom or dad is a given. I just did the circuit with him, my daughter and their golden doodle …1.03 miles in 22 minutes.

During our time together, I learned some lessons too… Continue reading