The NRG Tribe

Happy Friday, I hope you enjoyed last weeks 5-Point Friday post!  I’m still playing with subjects week to week.

I hope your week finds you strong and moving towards better health, productivity, and fitness!

1)Positive Thought:

Men’s natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.

                         —Confucius

2)Health News:  Stomach viruses, common colds, and allergies have filled my day in the past week.  Treatment after you get sick is straight forward.  A more exciting topic starts with “How do I keep from getting sick?”  More often than not, this starts with improving your digestive health.  The “Gut” serves as the core of our immune system.

Ignore digestive woes and you set yourself up for ongoing, progressive health problems.

Next week I team up with Dr. John Sullivan to bring our next health and wellness seminar covering just this topic!  <Link here to RSVP for one or both topics>  

For those of you unable to attend, look forward to the video version in the coming weeks.

3)A Year Ago: I was busy planting a small orchard which became the mainframe trees in my Chicken Orchard project recently completed.  I now appreciate those long days of planting as the trees have matured and begun showing signs of fruit production.  Besides the obvious sense of satisfaction from food self-sufficiency, the trees represent a continuation of my quest to bring real food ideas to my clinic patients and NRGTRIBE readers.

It’s not “Mission impossible” to create our own food!  

High quality food, locally sourced, grown in a sustainable fashion = Good health.

4)What I’m reading:  The Power of Habit:  Why we do what we do in life and business, (Charles Duhigg).  This was an insightful read exploring the current research surrounding habit, habit formation, and habit change.  Duhigg makes this readable with lots of take home, actionable information.   Intrigued by habits ranging from eating habits to competitive athletic coaching methods, I found this book well worth a read.

5)Health Nugget: Quality fats (Healthy fats) are a must for optimal health.  Healthy fats come from several food sources including:  Nuts, eggs, milk, cheese, butter, avocado, fish, coconut oil, etc.  Current research reveals consuming high quality fats improves health and is not detrimental.  Quality fats and cholesterol serve as building blocks for our nervous system, hormones, and internal organs.  Fats also contain a large number of key vitamins!

As always, leave comments, ask questions, share ideas!

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Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend!

W. Curtis, MD

I am intrigued by human performance.

I believe we are capable of 20x more than we give ourselves credit for.

Recently I noticed how awesome I felt after a strenuous cross-fit workout.  Sweaty, good-tired, I felt calm, almost “Zen-like.”  I managed to achieve the desired “Runner’s high,”  that perfect state of endorphins, blood-flow and mind-body interface bliss.

Near the end of my normal cool-down routine which included a brief series of Yoga stretches and Box breathing exercises, I noticed a recurring thought….

[continue reading…]

Recently I came across probably one of the most concise reports summarizing the current state of nutritionally related health information.

I have long taught that quality fats and cholesterol rank as one of the most important foods for health and simultaneously that excess carbohydrates and processed fats are causing the obesity epidemic around the world.

Now the Credit Suisse an investment/banking researcher provides a report clearly outlining how modern nutrition research clearly shows the benefit of natural fats (Eggs, cheese, whole milk, nuts, etc.). The report also reveals that both public and health professionals lack awareness of the bulk of this knowledge.   (Article Here)

Some of my favorite quotes:

While historically medical recommendations encouraged dramatically reducing consumption of saturated fats and cholesterol and placed no limits on polyunsaturated fats and carbohydrate intake, consumer buying patterns and medical research are now moving gradually away from these recommendations to favor food products with more natural unprocessed fats and rich in saturated and monounsaturated fats (organic dairy, grass-fed meats, natural oils, and nuts). The report illustrates this evolution by evaluating over 400 medical research papers and books written by academics and industry experts, and at the same time reveals the results of two proprietary surveys of doctors, nutritionists, and consumers.

And more telling:

“We found that 40% of nutritionists and 70% of general practitioners surveyed believe that eating cholesterol-rich foods has damaging cardiovascular effects. This is not true, according to the extensive research that has become available in recent years. Furthermore, they have limited knowledge of the potential benefits and risks of increased fat consumption,” said Giles Keating, Vice Chairman of Investment Strategy & Research and Deputy Global Chief Investment Officer for Private Banking & Wealth Management. “There is a concerning knowledge gap between the facts on fat and what consumers have been told.”

If you read the remainder of the article you will see the Credit Suisse’ financial predictions.

I’ll summarize those predictions by saying, as true healthy diet awareness expands, we will see a move towards consumers seeking more farmers markets, locally grown, chemical free, quality-fat laden products like fish, eggs, butter, and whole dairy.

I must admit I’m dismayed that 70% physicians polled did not know what current diet research actually says!!!

What do you think about this news?

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Happy Friday, I hope you enjoyed last weeks 5-Point Friday post!  I’m playing with subjects week to week.

Hope this post lifts you and motivates you.  A little cheer, a little wisdom never hurt anyone.

1)Positive Thought:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”
—–Winston Churchill

2)Health News:  This week I gave 3 seminars on the risks of poly-pharmacy.  The sessions were well received by attendees and I am currently processing the video versions of these talks and I hope to share with the NRGTRIBE followers in the coming weeks. My research for this talk confirmed my belief that, “Health doesn’t come from a bottle.”

As a teaser, check out this post which served as a primer for the live events.

Polypharmacy:  Adventures in Legal Drug Dealing

3)A Year Ago: About this time last year I was writing about the upcoming changes to DEA regulation of hydrocodone. Since that time I’ve seen a huge drop in usage of this heavily prescribed Narcotic.  I’ve used the change in regulation to raise awareness to the risk of taking hydrocodone without pursing alternatives.   I am continually shocked at how many patients do not realize hydrocodone lowers testosterone, affects brain hormones, and can even lead to greater sensitivity to pain.

4)What I’m reading: Food, Inc—This book continues to reinforce my belief that we must reclaim our right to healthy food.  We as a community must recognize food can heal and it can kill.  As a physician I am reminded my mission should be to emphasize healthy behaviors and diet…not simply treat symptoms and react to illness.

5)Health Nugget: Broccoli, Cauliflower, Brussels sprout, Kale, Cabbage and Collard Greens are all Cruciferous vegetables.  They have strong positive health benefits.  I often recommend them as a nutritional strategy for detoxification and cancer prevention.  As a bonus several of them are fairly easy to grow in a fall garden!  If you can’t stand eating them….message me below I’ll throw out additional options that give similar benefit!

As always, leave comments, ask questions, share ideas!

Let’s Connect!

Twitter (@nrgtribe)

Facebook

Thanks for reading! Have a wonderful weekend!

W. Curtis, MD