Caffeine: The Double-Edged Sword

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

June 11, 2021

So what’s the deal with caffeine? Is it good for you, or is it bad for you?

Well, it’s complicated. But there are some great things that can happen when you drink a cup or two of caffeinated coffee or tea.

First, it helps with the brain. Caffeine makes it work more efficiently. That’s why you feel so much more alert after you’ve had your first cup of coffee in the morning. And it activates several areas of the brain that can make it easier to learn and process stored memories. Continue reading →

How Much Exercise is Too Much?

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

June 7, 2021

Mitochondria. They power every cell in your body with energy.

And your muscles require a lot of energy, so mitochondria are found in abundance in muscle cells.

They give your muscles the strength and endurance they need to perform daily activities. At the same time, the more activity you get, the more mitochondria you generate.

But there’s actually a fine line between too much activity… and not enough. Continue reading →

Are these Foods Causing Your Migraine?

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

June 4, 2021

There are a lot of migraine triggers. Stress. Weather. Irregular sleep schedule. Hormones, lights and odors.

And then there’s a whole laundry list of foods that can trigger a migraine.

But a lot of people don’t always make the association between the foods they’ve eaten and the onset of the headache. That’s because it’s not like they eat something and suddenly have a headache. It can take 12 to 24 hours after eating for the migraine to develop. By then, some people don’t even remember what they ate, let alone attribute it to the migraine. Continue reading →

5 Reasons Age Makes It Harder to Sleep

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

May 31, 2021

Do you ever have those nights when you just can’t sleep? And have you noticed that the older you get, the more often those nights happen?

It’s annoying, right?

In some cases, it might be caused by things like stress, brain chatter or poor bedtime habits. But the reasons for poor sleep seem to start changing when we reach a certain age. Why does that happen? Continue reading →

The Power of Medicinal Mushrooms

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

May 26, 2021

A lot of people think mushrooms are vegetables, but they are actually fungi. Should that make a difference to you? Maybe, maybe not.

But it’s interesting.

Back in the late 1920’s a bacteriologist named Alexander Fleming made a discovery. You know that name, right? He’s the guy who discovered penicillin. What’s interesting is how he discovered it.

It turns out he noticed fungus growing on a petri dish of Staphylococcus bacteria. For some reason, the bacteria wouldn’t grow anywhere near the fungus. And any bacteria near it was weak or dying. Continue reading →

Change Your Gut, Change Your Life

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

May 24, 2021

The microbial composition of your gut microbiome started forming before you were even born. It basically starts out with whatever Mom had in her uterine microbiome. If you were born vaginally you picked up your Mom’s microbiome on your way through the birth canal.

Then, if you were breastfed, you got more of your mother’s microbiome shaping a healthier gut and immune system. If you were formula fed, it changed in a not so good way. You didn’t get the usual microbes and immune enhancers that come from your mother’s milk.

It changed again when you started eating the foods they fed you when you were six months old, like strained peas. And again, when you went on solid foods. Continue reading →

Are Your Old Feet Getting Cranky?

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

May 21, 2021

Your feet are your body’s foundation. And they’re awesome.

Believe it or not, each foot accounts for about 1.5% or less of your bodyweight. Yet they carry the entire weight of your body around for an entire lifetime. More than that, really. Because when you walk, the pressure on your heels and the front of your feet can be more the double your body weight.

And here’s an amazing little tidbit for you. If you walk 7,500 steps a day, by the end of your life you will have walked the equivalent of about five times around the Earth.

That’s incredible, isn’t it? Continue reading →

6 Ways to Cut Your Dementia Risk, Starting Today

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

May 19, 2021

You probably already know that processed meat isn’t good for you. We’ve known for years and years that even a small amount on a regular basis is linked with a higher cancer risk, especially for the colon.

But did you know it can affect your chances of getting dementia? Over in the UK, they discovered that just 25 grams of processed meat a day is associated with a 44% increased risk of developing it. That’s somewhere around two slices of thin bacon.

So just imagine if you eat bacon, sausage or ham for breakfast each day. Add in a hot dog, submarine sandwich or pepperoni pizza on a regular basis and you could really push the limits on your brain function as you age. Continue reading →

It’s Essentially a Fat Thing

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

May 14, 2021

Fatty acids make fat. But that’s not a bad thing.

There are good fatty acids that you need for energy metabolism. This is critical when your body burns fat as an energy source. Plus, fatty acids give your body the ability to absorb fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. Fatty acids are absolutely necessary for your body to survive.

The good fats are called essential fatty acids. Why are they essential? Because your body can’t make them. You have to get them from the foods you eat. Continue reading →