How might we moderate the rare but very real risk of headbanging?
If you search for heavy metal in the National Library of Medicine database, most of what you find is on heavy metal contamination in fish, which “makes it difficult to establish clearly the role of fish consumption on a healthy diet” and perhaps helps to explain the quintupling of odds of autoimmune diseases, such as juvenile arthritis. But searching for the hazards of heavy metal also pops up entries on the “risks from heavy metal music.” In this study, researchers were talking about traumatic injuries from slamming around “during a moshing session,” but you’re more likely to get injured at an alternative rock concert. (Check out some of the artists below and at 0:50 in my video The Dangerous Effects of Heavy Metal Music.)
Certainly, music-induced hearing loss is a serious problem, but that can result from any loud music. Clinical recommendations include the “80–90 rule”—no more than 80% of the maximum volume on personal listening devices for no more than 90 minutes a day. That’s not what the science shows, however. “Do not exceed 60% of the maximum volume” may be more evidence-based, but researchers figure teens would just ignore that, so they came up with more “acceptable” advice.
I assumed I’d see a lot of satanic panic nonsense from the 1980s, when “parents bereaved by suicide…accused Heavy Metal groups of promoting suicidal behaviours and…proceeded to sue musicians.” What kind of evidence did the parents present? There has been “little scholarly research” published until the “The Heavy Metal Subculture and Suicide” paper that tried to correlate the number of statewide heavy metal magazine subscriptions to youth suicide rates. Seriously?
It got really wild, though, when researchers called psychiatric institutions, pretending to be parents worried because their son started listening to heavy metal music, even though they made it clear that their son didn’t exhibit any symptoms of mental illness, didn’t do drugs or drink alcohol, and was doing fine at school. Ten of the twelve facilities believed the son required psychiatric hospitalization. Imagine what that would do to a kid! Researchers found that, decades later, metalheads “were significantly happier in their youth and better adjusted” than their peers.
Some studies were strange. Do Parkinson’s patients walk better listening to The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” or Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”? (See below and at 2:32 in my video.)
Others were pretty nondescript. Heavy metal musicians exhibit a higher heart rate than those performing “contemporary Christian,” which isn’t so surprising, as you can see here and at 2:40.
Some others were kind of cute, like one that investigated the influence of music on promoting patient safety during surgery—veterinary patients, that is. Kittens got spayed with little earphones on their heads. It turns out that “Adagio for Strings” may be more relaxing than AC/DC.
A review on music therapy for human patients warned: “Caution should be exercised…when guiding patients in selecting their music. ‘Chaotic music, such us [sic] hip-hop and metal, is not healing to human cells.’” That even had three citations, though two of them don’t say anything and the third is a nursing newsletter merely quoting someone’s opinion. I did some digging, and it turns out that stomach cancer cells like metal. If you play them Cannibal Corpse versus Beethoven, 12 hours of death metal increases their growth in a petri dish, as you can see below and at 3:28 in my video. (That’s so metal.)
But who puts headphones on their stomach? Or their chests, for that matter? In one study, Mozart killed off one type of breast cancer cell line but not another; in another study, only Beethoven’s 5th Symphony seemed to work, and Mozart flopped when the petri dishes were surrounded by speakers. How does this stuff even get published?
Anyway, the true danger from heavy metal is headbanging. “Headbanging is a contemporary dance form consisting of abrupt flexion–extension movements of the head to the rhythm of rock music, most commonly seen in the heavy metal genre.” Although the “number of avid aficionados is unknown…some fans might be endangered by indulging excessive headbanging.” Despite headbanging generally being “considered harmless,” several health complications have been attributed to this practice, including ripping your carotid artery, rupturing your lung, whiplash injury, neck fracture, or subdural hematoma. One man reported headbanging at a Motörhead concert, and all that “brisk forward and backward acceleration and deceleration forces” might have ruptured his bridging veins and caused him to bleed into his skull.
As shown here and at 4:47 in my video, bridging veins bridge the gap between the brain and the covering that lines the inside of our skull, and if the veins tear, blood can build up under our skull and compress our brain.
This bridging vein rupture has been demonstrated on headbanging cadavers (another very metal study). See below and at 5:02 in my video. It’s been likened to a “pseudo shaken-baby syndrome” in adults.
The researchers conclude that their “case serves as evidence in support of Motörhead’s reputation as one of the most hardcore rock’n’roll acts on earth,” but I think the real takeaway is that a potentially dangerous complication like subdural hematoma can result from “a seemingly benign activity like head banging.” And some of the brain bleeds can be massive. One man complained of a “headache after headbanging at a party.” Why? As you can see in his CT scan below and at 5:35, circled in red is all blood, squishing over his brain. Amazingly, he survived; another man didn’t, headbanging and losing his life to a fatal subdural hemorrhage.
We can tear more than just veins. There are two sets of arteries that tunnel into the skull—the carotid arteries in the front and the vertebral arteries in the back—and we can tear both sets. A 15-year-old boy “indulged in headbanging” and ripped his carotid artery, which led to a massive stroke. He presented as half-paralyzed and unable to speak, and he died in a coma within a week.
What about the vertebral arteries in the back? They’re wedged into our skull, rendering them susceptible to shearing forces from extremes of neck motion, and that’s exactly what appeared to happen when a heavy metal drummer tore the wall of the artery. All of this is really rare, probably afflicting less than one in a thousand or so. What can metalheads do to reduce their risk? “To prevent injury due to such head-banging, the range of head and neck motion should be reduced, slower-tempo music should replace heavy metal rock, the frequency of head-banging should be only on every second beat, or personal protective equipment should be used”—like a neck brace?
“Little formal injury research has been conducted on the worldwide phenomenon of head banging,” so researchers constructed “a theoretical head banging model” with enough physics terms to make any nerd happy: “angular displacement,” “sinusoidal motion in the sagittal plane,” and “amplitude of the displacement curve.” The study participants? Headbangers. The control group? That’s easy with easy listening music.
The head injury curves and neck injury curves, based on headbanging tempo and angular sweep, are shown below and at 7:23.
“An average head-banging song has a tempo of about 146 beats per minute, which is predicted to cause mild head injury when the range of motion is greater than 75º,” so something like what’s seen below and at 7:34 in myvideo.
The researchers conclude: “To minimise the risk of head and neck injury, head bangers should decrease their range of head and neck motion, head bang to slower tempo songs by replacing heavy metal with adult-oriented rock, only head bang to every second beat, or use personal protective equipment.”
“Unfortunately, it is difficult, if not impossible, to change the habits of heavy metal aficionados.” Maybe what we need are metal-studded neck braces.
What I Learned As An Ultra-Endurance Athlete: Summary
This episode of the Health Detective Podcast, What I Learned As an Ultra-Endurance Athlete, hosted by Evan Transue, features an interview with Lisa Tamati, a globally recognized expert in longevity and health optimization. Lisa shares her remarkable journey from being an ultra-endurance athlete competing in the world’s toughest races to becoming a trailblazing educator and a serial entrepreneur.
She describes how she overcame her genetic predisposition to health issues through sheer mental grit and resilience, and how this mindset translated into her career shift towards health advocacy. A significant portion of the conversation is dedicated to Lisa’s personal battle to save her mother’s life after she suffered a massive aneurysm. Despite being told by doctors that her mother would never recover, Lisa utilized hyperbaric oxygen therapy, genetics, functional neurology, and a strict health regimen to restore her mother’s health. The story extends to her mother’s later fight with aggressive brain cancer, where Lisa worked with over 15 doctors and applied metabolic approaches to ultimately achieve remission.
Lisa emphasizes the importance of advocating within the medical system, the role of genetics in personalized healthcare, and the incredible advancements in longevity science. She also discusses her biotech venture, Aevum Labs, which develops innovative solutions for aging and immune health. Throughout the episode, Lisa’s relentless determination and comprehensive approach to health optimization serve as an inspiration, showcasing the power of never giving up and the potential of modern science in achieving remarkable health outcomes.
What I Learned As An Ultra-Endurance Athlete: Topics
00:00 Welcome to the Health Detective Podcast
01:00 Introducing Lisa Tamati: Longevity and Health Optimization Expert
03:28 Lisa’s Ultra Endurance Journey
07:01 The Impact of Extreme Endurance on Health
13:47 The Power of Genetics in Health and Performance
16:53 A Mother’s Fight: Overcoming a Massive Aneurysm
30:51 A Mother’s Miraculous Recovery
31:49 The Second Battle: Brain Cancer
32:50 A Relentless Fight Against Cancer
37:45 The Power of Mindset and Tough Love
43:49 Advocating in the Medical System
49:05 Innovations in Health and Longevity
55:32 Final Thoughts and Resources
Where to Find Lisa Tamati
Go to our Health Detective Podcasts for more informational and functional health-oriented podcasts like this one.
We’re in the middle of three notes looking at the seminal statin trials and the six papers published by the Cholesterol Treatment Trialist (CTT) group, which pooled these trials together. Last week we summarised the six key papers, what the primary objective was for each paper and which trials were included in each paper. The intervention for each trial (statin vs placebo or higher vs lower dose statin) and the scale of industry involvement were also summarised.
With that as background, this note looks in more detail at 14 trials. This is because 14 trials were included in all 6 meta-analyses. Only 3 of these 14 trials claimed a benefit for mortality (as we saw with the de Lorgeril analysis from the 4S Monday note) (Ref 1). These three determined the result for mortality overall. Once it is known that 14 trials elicit a result, more trials can be added to these 14 with the confidence that a result will continue to be found. The first CTT meta-analysis (2005) involved 14 trials. The last CTT meta-analysis (2019) involved 28 trials. Provided that trials 15-28 don’t have striking results against statins, adding more trials won’t change and might strengthen the original findings.
Taper week is about rest, carbs, and the imperfect joy of homemade pasta
Published November 28, 2025 03:30AM
When I’m deep in ultramarathon training, I crave two things: carbs and comfort. And nothing delivers both like a big bowl of spicy Italian sausage vodka pasta with creamy sauce and a handful of green peas for good measure.
But let’s get this straight before any running purists come for me: this is not a pre-race meal nor the meal you eat the night before your ultra. All of that fat, spice, veggies, and cream would revolt on race day, when bathroom stops are scarce—and toilet paper is even scarcer.
Rather, I save this meal for taper week, the magical few days when I cut my mileage, slow the intensity, and let my body recover. Me, impatient as ever, learning that sometimes the best things come to those who… wait. Or rest. Or eat pasta. Taper week is all about slowing down to let your body catch up to your ambitions.
Sometimes we roll out our own pasta at home, but store-bought works perfectly fine, too. We’re still learning the art of getting the noodles thin enough. Right now, they come out thick, rustic, and stubborn, as you’ll see in the video. A pasta maker is on our wishlist for Christmas, but until then, it’s all part of the experience.
How to Fuel Taper Week
1. Don’t Try Anything New During Taper Week.
Your stomach is actually training, too. Stick with meals your body already knows and loves. Familiar food equals happy digestion, and one less thing to stress about before the big day.
2. Go Heavy on Carbs a Few Days Before the Event.
That’s your body’s time to top off the tank. I usually start increasing carbs three to four days out from race day. The key is balance: comfortably full, not stuffed. (Maybe then there’s room for ice cream!)
3. Ease Up on Veggies and Protein (Just a Bit).
I’ve learned that fiber can slow digestion, and heavy protein takes longer to break down. I love my greens, but I go lighter the week of a race. My body thanks me later.
4. Double Your Meal for Leftovers.
Future you will be grateful. Less time cooking and cleaning, more time stretching, walking, or doing absolutely nothing productive. That’s taper life.
5. Hydrate Like It’s Your Full-Time Job.
When it comes to staying hydrated, you don’t need a fancy strategy, just consistency. Water, electrolytes, repeat. It’s one of the simplest but most underrated parts of taper week prep.
There’s something about cooking (or being cooked for) during taper week that feels grounding. Maybe the secret to a strong race isn’t at the starting line at all. It starts in the kitchen, where you listen to your body, feed it what it loves, and savor the calm before the storm. Sometimes the noodles are a little thick, or the sauce is a little too spicy, and yet, somehow, everything feels exactly right.
What can reishi mushrooms, shiitake mushroom extracts, and whole, powdered white mushrooms do for cancer patients?
“A regular intake of mushrooms can make us healthier, fitter, and happier, and help us live longer,” but what is the evidence for all that? “Mushrooms are widely cited for their medicinal qualities, yet very few human intervention studies have been done using contemporary guidelines.”
There is a compound called lentinan, extracted from shiitake mushrooms. To get about an ounce, you have to distill around 400 pounds of shiitakes, about 2,000 cups of mushrooms. Researchers injected the compound into cancer patients to see what happens. The pooled response from a dozen small clinical trials found that the objective response rate was significantly improved when lentinan was added to chemotherapy regimens for lung cancer. “Objective response rate” means, for example, tumor shrinkage, but what we really care about is survival and quality of life. Does it actually make cancer patients live any longer or any better? Well, those in the lentinan group suffered less chemo-related toxicity to their gut and bone marrow, so that alone might be reason enough to use it. But what about improving survival?
I was excited to see that lentinan may significantly improve survival rates for a type of leukemia. Indeed, researchers found that adding lentinan to the standards of care increased average survival, reduced cachexia (cancer-associated muscle wasting), and improved cage-side health. Wait, what? This was improved survival for brown Norwegian rats, so that the so-called clinical benefit only applies if you’re a rat or a veterinarian.
A compilation of 17 actual human clinical studies did find improvements in one-year survival in advanced cancer patients but no significant difference in the likelihood of living out to two years. Even the compilations of studies that purport that lentinan offers a significant advantage in terms of survival are just talking about statistical significance. As you can see below and at 2:15 in my video White Button Mushrooms for Prostate Cancer, it’s hard to even tell these survival curves apart.
Lentinan improved survival by an average of 25 days. Now, 25 days is 25 days, but we “should evaluate assertions made by companies about the miraculous properties of medicinal mushrooms very critically.”
Lentinan has to be injected intravenously. What about mushroom extract supplements you can just take yourself? Researchers have noted that shiitake mushroom extract is available online for the treatment of prostate cancer for approximately $300 a month, so it’s got to be good, right? Men who regularly eat mushrooms do seem to be at lower risk for getting prostate cancer—and apparently not just because they eat less meat or consume more fruits and vegetables in general. So, why not give a shiitake mushroom extract a try? Because it doesn’t work. On its own, it is “ineffective in the treatment of clinical prostate cancer.” Researchers wrote that “the results demonstrate that claims for CAM [complementary and alternative medicine], particularly for herbal and food supplement remedies, can be easily and quickly tested.” Put something to the test? What a concept! Maybe it should be required before individuals spend large amounts of money on unproven treatments, or, in this case, a disproven treatment.
What about God’s mushroom (also known as the mushroom of life) or reishi mushrooms? “Conclusions: No significant anticancer effects were observed”—not even a single partial response. Are we overthinking it? Plain white button mushroom extracts can kill off prostate cancer cells, at least in a petri dish, but so could the fancy God’s mushroom, but that didn’t end up working in people. You don’t know if plain white button mushrooms work on real people until you put them to the test.
What I like about this study is that the researchers didn’t use a proprietary extract. They just used regular whole mushrooms, dried and powdered, the equivalent of a half cup to a cup and a half of fresh white button mushrooms a day, in other words, a totally doable amount. The researchers gave them to men with “biochemically recurrent prostate cancer”—the men had already gotten a prostatectomy or radiation in an attempt to cut or burn out all the cancer, but it returned and started growing, as evidenced by a rise in PSA levels, an indicator of prostate cancer progression.
Of the 26 patients who had gotten the button mushroom powder, 4 appeared to respond, meaning they got a drop in PSA levels by more than 50% after starting the mushrooms, as you can see here and at 4:31 in my video.
In the next graphic, below and at 4:22, you can see where the four men who responded started out in the months leading up to starting the mushrooms. Patient 2 (“Pt 2”) was my favorite. He had an exponential increase in PSA levels for a year, then he started some plain white mushrooms, and boom! His PSA level dropped to zero and stayed down. A similar response was seen with Patient 1. Patient 4 had a partial response, before his cancer took off again, and Patient 3 appeared to have a delayed partial response.
Now, in the majority of cases, PSA levels continued to rise, not dipping at all. But even if there is only a 1-in-18 chance you’ll be like Patients 1 and 2, seen below and at 5:12, you may get a prolonged, complete response that continues.
We aren’t talking about weighing the risks of some toxic chemotherapy for the small chance of benefit, but just eating some inexpensive, easy, tasty plain white mushrooms every day. Yes, the study didn’t have a control group, so it may have just been a coincidence, but rising PSAs in post-prostatectomy patients are almost always indicators of cancer progression. And, what’s the downside of adding white button mushrooms to your diet?
In these two patients, their PSA levels became undetectable, suggesting that the cancer disappeared altogether. They had already gone through surgery, had gotten their primary tumor removed, along with their entire prostate, and had already gone through radiation to try to clean up any cancer that remained, and yet the cancer appeared to be surging back—until, that is, they started a little plain mushroom powder.
The holidays are a favorite time to gather, share nourishing meals, and celebrate all the flavors of the season. Whether I’m hosting friends or cooking a cozy dinner for family, I always look for ways to make traditional dishes cleaner and more vibrant — without sacrificing taste of course! These very festive recipes are all made with real ingredients and are refined sugar free, gluten-free or dairy-free friendly. They’re perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any time you want to serve a wholesome meal that still feels indulgent.
Before we get into the recipes, I want to make sure you’ve all switched your table salt to a clean, mineral-rich salt. You’ll notice that every recipe here has one thing in common: I use Redmond Real Salt and their seasonings, especially the lemon pepper and garlic salt. Table salt is the absolute worst because it’s so highly processed, stripped of its natural minerals, and often mixed with additives and anti-caking agents that your body definitely doesn’t need. It also has a harsh, flat flavor that doesn’t support nourishing, heart-centered cooking. Using Redmond Real Salt is one of my favorite ways to bring out the flavor in every recipe. I love that it’s pure, unrefined, and naturally full of trace minerals — it truly makes a difference when you’re cooking from the heart.
So, grab your apron, turn up the music, and let’s get cooking!
Cranberry Chicken Skewers
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 20 mins Servings: 4 Calories: 320
Juicy chicken with tangy cranberries makes these skewers a perfect festive appetizer that’s equal parts simple and flavorful.
Ingredients: • 1 lb. chicken breast, cut into cubes • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries • 2 tbsp olive oil • 1 tbsp honey • 1 tsp Dijon mustard • 1/2 tsp garlic powder • 1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt • Fresh rosemary for garnish
Actions:
Preheat grill or skillet over medium heat.
Whisk together olive oil, honey, mustard, garlic powder, and salt.
Thread chicken and cranberries onto skewers.
Brush with marinade and grill 8–10 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through.
Garnish with rosemary and serve warm.
Fall Harvest Salad
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 0 mins Servings: 2 Calories: 275
A bright, crunchy salad packed with autumn flavor — crisp apples, toasted pecans, and a maple vinaigrette.
Ingredients: • 2 cups mixed greens • 1/2 apple, sliced • 1/4 cup pecans, toasted • 1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese (optional) • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar • 1 tsp maple syrup • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Actions:
Combine greens, apples, and pecans in a bowl.
Whisk olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and salt for the dressing.
Toss salad with dressing and top with goat cheese.
Butternut Squash Lentil Chili
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Servings: 6 Calories: 380
A hearty and comforting plant-based chili perfect for cold nights.
Ingredients: • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 onion, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 2 cups butternut squash, cubed • 1 cup dry lentils, rinsed • 1 can (15 oz) crushed tomatoes • 3 cups vegetable broth • 1 tsp chili powder • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika • 1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt • Fresh cilantro for garnish
Actions:
Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant.
Add squash, lentils, tomatoes, broth, and spices.
Simmer 35–40 minutes, until lentils are tender.
Garnish with cilantro before serving.
Spinach Mashed Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Servings: 4 Calories: 220
Creamy mashed potatoes blended with fresh spinach for a bright, nourishing twist on a classic side.
Ingredients: • 2 lbs. potatoes, peeled and chopped • 1 cup spinach, chopped • 2 tbsp olive oil or butter • 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk • 1/2 tsp Redmond Real Salt • Black pepper to taste
Actions:
Boil potatoes until soft, about 15 minutes.
Drain and mash with olive oil, milk, salt, and pepper.
Stir in chopped spinach until wilted and serve warm.
Stuffed Turkey with Pomegranate Glaze
Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins Servings: 8 Calories: 490
A show-stopping holiday centerpiece — juicy turkey with a sweet and tart glaze.
Ingredients: • 1 whole turkey breast (about 3–4 lbs) • 1/2 cup pomegranate juice • 2 tbsp honey • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp thyme • 1 tsp Redmond Real Salt • 1/2 tsp pepper • 1 cup cooked quinoa • 1/2 cup chopped spinach • 1/4 cup diced apple
Actions:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Mix quinoa, spinach, and apple for stuffing.
Slice turkey breast lengthwise and fill with stuffing.
Combine juice, honey, oil, thyme, salt, and pepper for glaze.
Roast 60–90 minutes, basting halfway with glaze.
Let rest before slicing.
Pumpkin Sheet Cake with Maple Frosting
Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 30 mins Servings: 12 Calories: 260
This cozy, spiced cake tastes like pure fall joy — soft, moist, and topped with creamy maple frosting.
Ingredients: • 1 cup pumpkin puree • 2 eggs • 1/2 cup coconut sugar • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1 cup almond flour • 1/4 cup tapioca flour • 1 tsp cinnamon • 1/2 tsp nutmeg • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Maple Frosting: • 1/2 cup cream cheese (or vegan alternative) • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Actions:
Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking pan.
Mix wet ingredients in one bowl, dry in another, then combine.
Pour into pan and bake 25–30 minutes.
Mix frosting ingredients and spread over cooled cake.
Apple Crumble
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins Servings: 6 Calories: 310
Sweet, spiced apples topped with a crispy oat crumble — a must-have for any holiday table.
Ingredients: • 5 apples, peeled and sliced • 1 tbsp lemon juice • 1 tsp cinnamon • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 cup gluten-free oats • 1/2 cup almond flour • 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted • 1/4 cup coconut sugar • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Actions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Toss apples with lemon juice, cinnamon, and maple syrup; place in baking dish.
Combine crumble ingredients and sprinkle over apples.
Bake 25 minutes or until golden.
Lemon Meringue Pie
Prep Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 15 mins Servings: 8 Calories: 340
A light, citrusy pie with a cloud of meringue — elegant and perfectly sweet.
Ingredients: • 1 gluten-free pie crust • 1 cup lemon juice • 1/2 cup honey • 3 eggs, separated • 2 tbsp arrowroot powder • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Actions:
Whisk lemon juice, honey, egg yolks, and arrowroot in saucepan; cook over medium until thickened.
Pour into baked crust.
Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form; spread on top.
Bake 10–15 minutes until lightly browned.
Chocolate Silk Pie
Prep Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 0 mins Servings: 8 Calories: 360
Rich, creamy, and decadent — a dreamy chocolate dessert made with clean ingredients.
Ingredients: • 1 gluten-free pie crust • 1 cup dark chocolate chips (dairy-free if needed) • 1 cup coconut cream • 2 tbsp maple syrup • 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Actions:
Melt chocolate with coconut cream over low heat.
Stir in maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.
Pour into crust and chill 2–3 hours before serving.
Cranberry Bread
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 40 mins Servings: 8 Calories: 230
Moist, sweet, and just tart enough — this festive bread pairs perfectly with your morning coffee.
Ingredients: • 1 1/2 cups almond flour • 1/4 cup coconut sugar • 1/2 cup fresh cranberries • 2 eggs • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract • 1/2 tsp baking soda • 1/4 tsp Redmond Real Salt
Actions:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix wet and dry ingredients separately, then combine.
Fold in cranberries and pour into a greased loaf pan.
Bake 35–40 minutes.
Classic Eggnog
Prep Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Servings: 4 Calories: 280
Creamy, spiced, and nostalgic — a holiday essential made with wholesome ingredients.
Ingredients: • 1/2 tsp Redmond Real salt • 1/8 tsp baking soda • 1/3 cup organic lemon juice (about 2 lemons) • 1 Tbsp organic lime juice (about 1/2 lime) • 3 Tbsp organic cherry juice or cranberry juice • 3 Tbsp honey or maple syrup • 6 cups spring water • Handful fresh mint • 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
Actions:
In large pitcher, mix all ingredients except mint and raspberries. Stir well.
Add fresh mint and raspberries. Serve over ice.
Use code Liana for 15% off your next Redmond purchase!
The holidays are all about creating connection — through food, energy, and the environment we gather in. When I’m hosting, I love keeping things simple and intentional so everyone feels relaxed and nourished. Here are a few of my favorite ways to make entertaining feel special, without the stress:
Set the scene with nature: Skip the synthetic décor and bring the outdoors in! I like to use pine sprigs, fresh herbs, or even citrus slices as table accents. They smell amazing, add a pop of color, and keep everything toxin-free.
Light it with intention: Beeswax or coconut candles instantly make the space feel cozy. I love using Elements of Grace Candles — their natural scents fill the room with calm, uplifting energy.
Serve family-style: Place your dishes — like the Spinach Mashed Potatoes or Butternut Squash Lentil Chili — in the center of the table so everyone can help themselves.
Create a mindful mocktail station: Set up sparkling water, citrus slices, and herbs like rosemary or mint. Include a clean, non-alcoholic cocktail option for guests.
End with gratitude and grace: Before the meal, I love taking a quiet moment to give thanks — for the food, the hands that prepared it, and the blessings of family and friendship.
These recipes were originally published on my Vitacost blog, where you can purchase all the ingredients at a discounted price. Visit Vitacost.com to shop.
Use these codes for 10% off in 2025: Nov – EARTHDIET1125 Dec – EARTHDIET1225
Did the five randomized controlled trials of reishi mushrooms in cancer patients show benefits in terms of tumor response rate, survival time, or quality of life?
Can mushrooms be medicinal? Mushroom-based products make up a sizable chunk of the $50 billion supplement market. “This profitable trade provides a powerful incentive for companies to test the credulity of their customers and unsupported assertions have come to define the medical mushroom business.” For example, companies marketing herbal medicines “exploit references to studies on mice in their promotion of mushroom capsules and throat sprays for treating all kinds of ailments”—but we aren’t mice.
It wouldn’t be surprising if mushrooms had some potent properties. After all, fungi are where we’ve gotten a number of drugs, not the least of which is penicillin, as well as the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin and the powerful immunosuppressant drug cyclosporin. Still don’t think a little mushroom can have pharmacological effects? Don’t forget they can produce some of our most powerful poisons, too, like the toxic Carolina false morel that looks rather toadstooly, while others, as you can see here and at 1:15 in my video Medicinal Mushrooms for Cancer Survival, have a more angelic look like the destroying angel—that is its actual name—and as little as a single teaspoon can cause a lingering, painful death.
We should have respect for the pharmacological potential of mushrooms, but what can they do that’s good for us? Well, consuming shiitake mushrooms each day improves human immunity. Giving people just one or two dried shiitake mushrooms a day (about the weight-equivalent of five to ten fresh ones) for four weeks resulted in an increase in proliferation of gamma-delta T lymphocytes and doubled the proliferation of natural killer cells. Gamma-delta T cells act as a first line of immunological defense, and, even better, natural killer cells kill cancer. Shiitake mushrooms did all this while lowering markers of systemic inflammation.
Oyster mushroom extracts don’t seem to work as well, but what we care about is whether mushrooms can actually affect cancer outcomes. Shiitakes have yet to show a cancer survival benefit, but what about reishi mushrooms, which have been used as a cancer treatment throughout Asia for centuries?
What does the science say about reishi mushrooms for cancer treatment? A meta-analysis of five randomized controlled trials showed that patients who had been given reishi mushroom supplements along with chemotherapy and radiation were more likely to respond favorably, compared to chemotherapy/radiotherapy on its own. Although adding a reishi mushroom extract improved tumor response rates, “the data failed to demonstrate a significant effect on tumour shrinkage when it was used alone,” without chemo and radiation. So, they aren’t recommended as a single treatment, but rather an adjunct treatment for patients with advanced cancer.
“Response rate” just means the tumor shrinks. Do reishi mushrooms actually improve survival or quality of life? We don’t have convincing data suggesting reishi mushroom products improve survival, but those randomized to reishi were found to have “a relatively better quality of life after treatment than those in the control group.” That’s a win as far as I’m concerned.
What about other mushrooms? Although whole shiitake mushrooms haven’t been put to the test for cancer yet, researchers have said that lentinan, a compound extracted from shiitakes, “completely inhibits” the growth of a certain kind of sarcoma in mice. But, in actuality, it only worked in one strain of mice and failed in nine others. So, are we more like the 90% of mouse strains in which it didn’t work? We need human trials—and we finally got them. There are data on nearly 10,000 cancer patients who have been treated with the shiitake mushroom extract injected right into their veins. What did the researchers find? We’ll find out next.
What Your Chronic Aches and Pains REALLY Mean: Summary
In What Your Chronic Aches and Pains REALLY Mean, host Detective Ev, talks with Nikki Uvalles, an integrative health coach and founder of One Body Wellness. Nikki specializes in helping women reclaim their health through holistic practices. She emphasizes the importance of addressing generational health issues, digestive health, and the emotional aspects of well-being.
Nikki shares her transition from being a licensed massage therapist to incorporating body-mind coaching and lab testing into her practice. She highlights the use of lab tests like the GI MAP to uncover root causes of health issues such as H. pylori infections and gut imbalances. Nikki also stresses the significance of strength training, posture correction, and nervous system regulation as key aspects of maintaining long-term health and vitality, particularly for women over 40. She describes the multi-faceted approach she uses with clients, including personalized coaching sessions, breath work, lymphatic massage, and more, both in-person and virtually.
The conversation also covers the topic of chronic pain, the role of chiropractic adjustments, and how body communication is crucial for overall health. Nikki advocates for the importance of listening to one’s body as a fundamental step towards wellness. The episode wraps up with a call to action for viewers to start paying attention to their bodies regularly, even if it’s just during daily routines like brushing their teeth.
What Your Chronic Aches and Pains REALLY Mean: Topics
00:00 Introduction to the Health Detective Podcast
00:32 Meet Our Guest: Nikki Uvalles from One Body Wellness
01:53 Nikki’s Personal Health Journey
02:38 Discovering Functional Diagnostic Nutrition
04:15 The Role of Body Work in Holistic Health
07:14 Integrating Lab Testing into Health Coaching
11:01 The Importance of Strength Training and Exercise
13:29 Overcoming Injuries and Maintaining Fitness
21:29 Advice for Starting Strength Training
25:15 The Importance of Challenging Your Muscles
25:39 Overcoming Fear and Intimidation in the Weight Room
26:26 The Role of Personal Trainers in Safe Weight Training
27:27 The Benefits of Muscle Memory
28:48 Exploring Nikki’s Coaching Program
37:47 Client Testimonials and Success Stories
44:45 Nikki’s Final Health Advice
Where to Find Nikki Uvalles
Go to our Health Detective Podcasts for more informational and functional health-oriented podcasts like this one.
This note is the first of three, on a topic that I have wanted to comprehensively cover for some time. Dr Malcolm Kendrick and I did a lot of work on all the statin trials for the defamation case that we brought against the Mail on Sunday. While the case was about defamation and not statins, it was critical to our defence to be able to show that the science was not settled in the cholesterol-heart-statin arena (science should never be settled). It was important to demonstrate that the benefits of statins were lower than claimed, that the potential harms were higher than claimed, and that a number of esteemed academics shared our view about overplayed benefits and underplayed harms. It was also important to demonstrate that heart disease is complex and multifactorial and that the ‘cholesterol causes heart disease’ narrative is far too simplistic and narrow. (It’s actually wrong, but we didn’t need to go that far).
The Clinical Trial Service Unit (CTSU) is an academic research unit within the Nuffield Department of Population Health at the University of Oxford. The Cholesterol Treatment Trialist (CTT) group is a collaboration led by researchers from the CTSU and other institutions. The CTT group produces meta-analyses of data from statin trials to assess the effects of cholesterol-lowering drugs on cardiovascular outcomes. (A meta-analysis pools together a number of trials on a particular topic).
Professor Sir Rory Collins is the head of the CTSU. Until he retired in 2023, Professor Colin Baigent was deputy director of the CTSU. Collins and Baigent were the two lead authors of the CTT meta-analyses. Collins and Baigent were integral to our lawsuit for two reasons: 1) the key evidence in favour of statins emanated from the CTT group and therefore it was their work that we needed to critique and 2) Collins and Baigent helped the Mail on Sunday journalist, Barney Calman, for weeks before the publication of the defamatory articles. Collins and Baigent were named numerous times in the Judgment of our case (Ref 1).
In parallel with writing other Monday notes, I have spent months pulling together all my notes on the statin trials and the CTT meta-analyses. This note is the first of three, which will summarise the work of the CTT collaboration and the main outputs from this research group. This first note will share, as background, a series of events from 2013-2014, which led to two interesting outcomes: 1) the CTSU was required to report the funds that had been received from the pharmaceutical industry and 2) the fact that the CTSU refuses to share data with other researchers was put on the record.
Every year I love putting together my favorite products that support a healthier, more natural lifestyle — and Black Friday is the best time to stock up while everything is discounted – woohoo! This year’s Top 20 list includes wellness essentials, clean beauty, kitchen tools, nourishing foods, inspiring books, and even a few joyful pieces I use to bring grounding energy into my day.
With the holidays right around the corner, many of these also make meaningful gifts for friends and loved ones. I chose each item because I personally use it and believe it can truly help make clean living easier, more enjoyable, and more affordable.
Many of these brands are offering special Black Friday savings, so if you’ve been wanting to upgrade your home, refresh your routine, or get a head start on holiday gifting, now is the perfect time. I hope these favorites bring you as much nourishment and inspiration as they’ve brought me…
*Disclaimer: When you shop through my links and codes, I receive a commission that helps me continue this work. I’m so grateful for your support!
1. Nama Juicer
One of the core principles of The Earth Diet is drinking a green juice daily for cellular nutrition and the powerful benefits of chlorophyll. At home, I use the Nama Juicer because it’s the best I’ve found for preserving nutrients. Since it’s a cold-pressed juicer, you can make a batch of four juices at a time and store them in glass jars so it’s easy to stay consistent.
Perfect for: Anyone wanting to incorporate daily green juice
Black Friday Deal: Save up to $120 off at Nama.This is their BIGGEST sale of the year!
The Futon Shop has some of the cleanest, most thoughtfully made organic futon sofas I’ve ever seen. They use natural, non-toxic materials — like organic cotton, wool, and latex — so you can feel good about bringing truly clean furniture into your home. Their futon sofas are supportive, cozy, and incredibly versatile, giving you a beautiful, toxin-free space to relax, unwind, and even host guests.
Perfect for: Anyone wanting a cleaner, healthier home environment, families looking for safe and sustainable furniture, and anyone who loves surrounding themselves with organic, Earth-friendly materials.
La Costa creates intentional, elegant pieces with beautiful energy behind them. Their jewelry is handcrafted with care using organic, high-quality materials — a refreshing alternative to most conventional jewelry, which is often chemically treated. These pieces make a meaningful gift during the holidays or for any special moment.
Perfect for: Gifting something timeless and intentional
A shower filter is essential for clean living because it helps remove chlorine and contaminants that can stress the skin and hair. This is one of my daily wellness staples for reducing toxic exposure.
Perfect for: Anyone wanting cleaner water on their skin
Chlorophyll is one of my top healing tools — a powerful detoxifier sourced from dark leafy greens. It supports oxygenation, neutralizes toxins, strengthens the immune system, and combats inflammation. I recommend starting the day with chlorophyll for natural energy and cellular cleansing.
Perfect for: Energy, detox, and daily wellness support
This includes all of my books: The Earth Diet, Cancer-Free with Food, Anxiety-Free with Food, and 10-Minute Recipes. Each one focuses on using real, whole foods to support the body’s natural healing pathways.
Perfect for: Anyone wanting to learn more about food-as-medicine
The Buydeem K2423 is one of my daily kitchen essentials. I use it for herbal tea, warm lemon water, and so many detox rituals. The temperature control is excellent for preserving nutrients in herbs and teas — and it’s beautifully designed.
Perfect for: Tea lovers and anyone creating a cozy wellness kitchen
These clean-burning candles are made with essential oils and natural ingredients, creating a calming, grounding atmosphere without toxins. I use them during nighttime wind-down rituals or meditation.
Perfect for: Bringing calming energy into any room
Black Friday Deal: An additional 5% off and free shipping on all orders over $75!
This is a big one I share often. The Cancer Bundle is a thoughtfully curated trio designed to nourish, detoxify, and support whole-body healing. It aligns beautifully with Earth Diet principles by focusing on natural immune support and detox pathways.
Perfect for: Deep wellness and healing support
Black Friday Deal: 25% off site-wide and free shipping on orders $75 and up they also have a new Black Friday B17 Essentials Bundle here.
Araza is one of my favorite food-based makeup brands. Their formulas are made with nourishing ingredients like fruit oils, natural pigments, and superfoods that support rather than stress the skin.
Clean water is foundational for healing. This filter helps remove harmful contaminants while preserving helpful minerals, making it one of the simplest upgrades for your wellness routine. I have never seen a filter remove EVERYTHING including PFAS!
Perfect for: Anyone wanting completely pure drinking water
Non-toxic cookware is essential for reducing exposure to harmful chemicals. This brand offers safe, durable materials that make healthy cooking easier and more enjoyable. Made with surgical stainless steel there will be absolute;y no toxins in yoru food from your cookware!
Perfect for: Clean cooking and toxin-free meal prep
Grounding while you sleep can help reduce inflammation, support deeper rest, and regulate the body’s natural rhythms. This mattress brings the benefits of grounding into your nightly routine and help to draw the EMF’s out of your body!
Perfect for: Better sleep and natural inflammation support
A grounding pillow extends the same healing principles — supporting relaxation, reducing stress, and helping the body reconnect to the earth’s natural frequencies.
Clean air is one of the foundations of a healing home. This air filter helps remove dust, mold, chemicals, and environmental toxins, supporting lungs, immunity, and overall vitality.
Perfect for: Anyone wanting a cleaner home environment
The Futon Shop offers some of the cleanest, most thoughtfully designed organic bedding and furniture. They use natural materials like organic cotton, wool, and latex — perfect for supporting a non-toxic home and restful sleep.
Perfect for: Clean home lovers and anyone prioritizing a toxin-free bedroom
Red light supports cellular repair, reduces inflammation, boosts collagen, and helps the body recover naturally. I love using this as part of my nighttime wind-down routine.
Looking to dive deeper into healing with me? These video courses are the perfect place to start. I created each one to guide you step-by-step through natural healing principles using real food, mindset shifts, and lifestyle practices that feel supportive, doable, and truly transformative. Whether your focus is weight loss, gut repair, or a full-body reset, you’ll find a course that meets you exactly where you are.
Perfect for: Anyone ready to take their healing into their own hands with clear, grounded guidance. Black Friday Deal: Exclusive savings available for a limited time. Link:https://www.theearthdiet.com/courses
19. Ozone Filter (Odor & Black Mold)
This ozone filter is incredibly effective for neutralizing odor, mold, and airborne toxins including mold — supporting a cleaner, safer home environment.
Perfect for: Deep home purification and removing mold
This multi-use cleaning tool helps remove dirt, dust, and environmental toxins without harsh chemicals. It’s a powerful option for anyone wanting a truly clean home.
Perfect for: A low-toxin, low-maintenance cleaning routine
The Hidden Metabolic Crisis Your Clients Are Facing
You’ve seen this client before. Maybe you’re even seeing them this week.
They walk into your session exhausted, carrying an extra 20 pounds they can’t lose. Poor sleep. Brain fog. Feeling like their body has turned against them. Their last doctor visit came back “normal” on all the standard blood work, so they got the usual advice: reduce stress, exercise more, maybe try therapy.
But here’s what nobody tested: cortisol pattern throughout the day. Insulin response after meals. Immune function. Circadian rhythm markers. The interconnected systems that actually explain why they feel terrible.
FDN built our entire program around one principle: Test, Don’t Guess.
In this article, we’ll walk you through a real case study from our Lab and Learn series that shows why functional lab testing changes everything for health practitioners who want to deliver consistent, transformational results. You’ll discover how one comprehensive test panel can reveal the underlying causes behind your client’s symptoms and give you a clear roadmap for healing protocols.
The Problem With Standard Health Assessments
Most health coaches are working blind. They gather symptoms, make educated guesses based on what worked for other clients, and hope their recommendations land. When results are inconsistent, they blame the client’s compliance or assume they need more training.
The real issue? They’re missing data.
Standard medical blood work is designed to catch disease, not dysfunction. By the time your client’s fasting glucose shows up as “high” on a conventional lab panel, they’ve likely been experiencing insulin resistance for years. Their cells have been struggling to uptake glucose. Their cortisol has been working against their insulin function. Their immune system has taken hits from chronic stress.
But none of that shows up until it crosses into the disease threshold.
Functional lab testing creates a completely different playing field. You’re not waiting for disease. You’re identifying subclinical patterns that explain current symptoms and predict future problems. You’re giving your clients hard data that motivates them to make changes before they’re facing a diagnosis.
As Reed Davis, founder of FDN, puts it: “This kind of testing is subclinical. It allows us to use it for anti-aging and longevity as well as getting to the heart of a condition and getting a person to turn their health around.”
Why The Stress and Hormone Profile Changes the Game
The Stress and Hormone Profile is one of the five core functional tests you’ll master during FDN certification. It started as a way to assess adrenal function through cortisol and DHEA ratios, but over the years it evolved into something far more comprehensive. Why? Because we kept asking the same question: What else do practitioners need to see to get a complete picture?
The answer became clear. You can’t look at stress hormones in isolation. They’re interconnected with sex hormones, immune function, circadian rhythms, and metabolic health. A complete assessment needed to capture all of these systems at once.
During your FDN training, you’ll learn to interpret the standard Stress and Hormone Profile, which includes:
Four-point cortisol curve shows your client’s stress response pattern throughout the day, not just a single snapshot
DHEA levels reveal whether your client is in a catabolic (breaking down) or anabolic (building up) state
Sex hormones demonstrate how chronic stress is impacting testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone
Melatonin indicates circadian rhythm function and antioxidant capacity
Secretory IgA measures mucosal immune function in the intestines and other mucosal surfaces
This isn’t five separate tests. It’s one panel using saliva samples that captures five interconnected systems.
As a practicing FDN graduate with access to our Medical Director Program, you can also order an enhanced version of this test that includes optional fasting and non-fasting insulin markers – the newest addition that ties metabolic health directly into the complete hormone picture. This advanced option is what we’ll explore in the case study below, showing how insulin testing completes the metabolic story.
The Cortisol-Insulin Connection Nobody’s Teaching
Here’s the metabolic mechanism most health coaches never learn: cortisol is insulin’s antagonist.
When your client experiences acute stress, their body responds appropriately. Cortisol rises, signals the liver to produce glucose, and shunts that energy to the muscles for fight or flight. This is a survival advantage. Once the stressor passes, hormone levels normalize and everything resets.
But what happens with chronic stress?
Dr. Aaron Gonshor, FDNs Chief Scientific Officer, explains the cascade: “With chronic stress, you are tapping the proteins, you are getting the liver to produce glucose. The adrenals are hyper-secreting cortisol because the stress doesn’t stop.”
This creates a vicious cycle:
Elevated cortisol continuously increases blood glucose production in the liver
High cortisol suppresses adiponectin, a hormone that normally increases insulin sensitivity
Cortisol inhibits insulin from allowing glucose to enter cells
Cells become insulin resistant while blood glucose stays high
The pancreas sees high glucose and continues pumping out insulin
You end up with both high blood sugar AND high insulin in the blood
This is pre-diabetes developing in real time. And it won’t show up on standard blood work until your client has crossed into diagnosable disease.
But on the Advanced Stress and Hormone Profile, you’ll see the pattern developing. You’ll catch the elevated cortisol throughout the day. You’ll spot the rising fasting insulin. You’ll notice the elevated non-fasting insulin after a carbohydrate challenge. And you’ll have the data to intervene before your client is facing a type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
The Science Behind Saliva Testing (And Why It Works)
Some practitioners hesitate when they first hear about saliva testing. They’ve been trained that blood work is the gold standard. But the research tells a different story.
Multiple studies have demonstrated a linear correlation between glucose levels in blood and saliva. While salivary insulin concentrations are about 10 times lower than serum levels, they’re equally accurate for assessing insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes risk.
Saliva testing offers several advantages:
Non-invasive collection. No blood draws, no lab visits, no scheduling hassles. Your client collects samples at home at specific times throughout the day.
Accurate correlation with serum. Research by Zhang et al confirmed that “saliva can be an alternative non-invasive diagnostic method for testing for diabetes.”
Four-point assessment. Unlike a single fasting blood draw, you’re seeing how your client’s hormones fluctuate across their waking hours. This reveals patterns that single-point testing misses.
International shipping. Fluids IQ, the lab partner FDN uses, ships worldwide. This means you can serve clients globally without worrying about finding local lab facilities.
Subclinical detection. You’re catching dysfunction before it becomes disease. Prevention and optimization happen here, at the subclinical level.
Reed Davis emphasizes this point: “I love this kind of testing because it’s subclinical. That allows us to use it for anti-aging and longevity as well as getting to the heart of a condition.”
Real Case Study: How One Test Revealed Everything
Let’s look at “John,” a case study Dr. Gonshor presented in the recent Lab and Learn session. John is a 40-year-old construction worker who came to his FDN Practitioner with a growing list of concerns:
His symptoms: Extreme fatigue that wasn’t improving with rest. Trouble sleeping, which was unusual for him. Weight gain leading to obesity with a BMI of 28. High blood pressure and high cholesterol on recent blood work. Darkening skin patches on his neck called acanthosis nigricans. New GI problems that just started.
His doctor’s assessment: “You have signs of insulin resistance. Lose weight.”
Not exactly a helpful protocol.
But when John’s FDN Practitioner ran the advanced version of the Stress and Hormone Profile (which includes the optional insulin markers), the data told a complete story.
His cortisol levels were elevated throughout the entire day, indicating chronic stress that wasn’t resolving. His DHEA was starting to rise, showing the body was trying to compensate for prolonged stress.
His fasting insulin came in at 17. Elevated starts at 18, so he was right on the edge. His non-fasting insulin was 33, clearly elevated and confirming insulin resistance.
His secretory IgA was very low, which explained his new GI issues. Chronic stress depletes immune function in the gut. His melatonin was above normal daytime range, indicating his circadian rhythm was completely disrupted. And his testosterone was low for his age at 40.
Every single marker on this one test pointed to the same underlying cause: chronic stress driving metabolic dysfunction. The stress wasn’t just making John feel bad. It was literally creating insulin resistance, depleting his immune function, disrupting his sleep, and tanking his testosterone.
With this data, John’s FDN Practitioner could create a targeted protocol. Stress management strategies to bring down that chronic cortisol elevation. Specific interventions to support secretory IgA recovery in the gut. Sleep hygiene protocols to regulate his circadian rhythm. Dietary adjustments to address the insulin resistance.
Most importantly, John now had objective data showing him exactly what was happening in his body. He wasn’t “just stressed.” He had measurable markers that would track his progress and keep him motivated through the protocol.
This is where FDN practitioners separate themselves from conventional health coaches. You’re not just addressing symptoms. You’re identifying the patterns that create those symptoms in the first place.
Take John’s case. A typical health coach might have approached his concerns symptom by symptom. Tired? Try an energy supplement. Can’t sleep? Here’s a sleep hygiene guide. Gaining weight? Let’s look at your diet and exercise. GI issues? Probably need a probiotic.
Each intervention treats a symptom. None of them address why all these symptoms showed up together.
But look at the test results. High cortisol from chronic stress. That elevation increases blood glucose and creates insulin resistance, which explains the weight gain and fatigue. It disrupts melatonin production, which explains the sleep problems. It depletes secretory IgA, which explains the GI issues. And it lowers testosterone, which explains more fatigue and weight gain.
One root cause created a cascade of symptoms. And one comprehensive test revealed the entire pattern.
Dr. Gonshor emphasizes this interconnectedness: “All of these results are really red flags that are telling you that there is a chronic stress problem, all from this one non-diagnostic screening profile.”
This is the power of the Test, Don’t Guess philosophy. You’re working with data that reveals cause and effect relationships. You’re not guessing which supplement might help. You’re building protocols based on what your client’s body is actually doing.
The Five Systems You Must Understand
The reason the Stress and Hormone Profile works so well is that it captures five systems that are always interconnected.
1. Adrenal Function (Stress Response)
Your client’s four-point cortisol curve shows you their stress response pattern. Are they producing cortisol normally? Is it elevated all day? Is it dropping when it should be high? Each pattern tells a different story and requires different interventions.
The cortisol-to-DHEA ratio reveals whether your client is in a catabolic (breaking down) or anabolic (building up) state. When stress is chronic, DHEA drops and cortisol stays high. The body is literally breaking itself down.
2. Sex Hormones
Chronic stress doesn’t just make you tired. It disrupts sex hormone production because the body prioritizes survival over reproduction. Progesterone gets shunted to make more cortisol. Testosterone drops. Estrogen becomes imbalanced.
The connection between insulin and sex hormones matters too. Hyperinsulinemia (high insulin in the blood) stimulates the ovaries to produce more testosterone. In obese males, testosterone drops while estradiol rises. Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) decreases with high insulin, creating more free active hormones.
These aren’t separate issues. They’re one interconnected system.
3. Immune Function
Secretory IgA is the immunoglobulin that lives in the mucosa of your intestines and other mucosal surfaces. It’s your first line of defense against pathogens.
When cortisol stays elevated from chronic stress, secretory IgA drops. This is why stressed clients get sick more often. It’s why they develop food sensitivities. It’s why they struggle with gut issues.
Reed Davis sees this as another window into the client’s condition: “I think of it myself as a window into gut function because most melatonin is made in the gut.”
4. Circadian Rhythm and Antioxidant Capacity
Melatonin does more than regulate sleep. Dr. Gonshor explains: “Melatonin is a major antioxidant. That’s actually its major function. And of course, close by that is its function in circadian rhythm control.”
When your client’s melatonin is disrupted, you’re seeing evidence that their sleep-wake cycle is off and their antioxidant defenses are compromised. Research shows that poor sleep directly affects diabetes risk. People with insufficient sleep are two times more likely to be diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
The connection runs both ways. Sleep disruption increases insulin resistance. And metabolic dysfunction disrupts sleep quality. You have to address both.
5. Metabolic Health
This is where the fasting and non-fasting insulin measurements complete the picture. You’re seeing whether your client’s cells are insulin resistant. You’re catching pre-diabetes before it shows up on standard blood work.
The carbohydrate challenge test (non-fasting insulin) is particularly revealing. Your client consumes 75 grams of carbohydrates one hour before their noon saliva sample. This stresses their system to see how well they handle glucose intake.
If insulin spikes high and stays high, you know their cells aren’t responding well to insulin’s signals. Glucose isn’t getting into cells efficiently. This is insulin resistance developing in real time.
What Makes FDN’s Approach Different
You might be thinking: “This all sounds great, but how do I actually learn to interpret these tests? How do I know what protocols to use?”
FDN built an entire program around functional lab testing for a reason. We don’t just give you access to tests and wish you luck. We teach you:
The D.R.E.S.S. protocol framework. Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress reduction, and Supplementation. This gives you a systematic approach to building client protocols based on test results.
The H.I.D.D.E.N. stressor system. Hormones, Immune, Digestion, Detoxification, Energy, and Nervous system. This helps you understand which body systems are under stress and how they interact.
Real case interpretation with expert guidance. Our Lab and Learn sessions with Dr. Gonshor walk you through actual cases so you learn pattern recognition, not just textbook knowledge.
Access to 70+ functional lab tests. Through our Medical Director Program (MDP), you can order advanced functional labs for your clients even if you don’t have a medical license. This is unique to FDN.
Clinical mentorship. You get twelve 1-on-1 sessions with experienced FDN mentors who help you interpret your first cases and build confidence in your recommendations.
A global community of 5,000+ practitioners. When you have questions, you’re not figuring it out alone. You’re connected to thousands of FDN-trained practitioners who’ve worked through similar cases.
Reed Davis built FDN specifically to address the gap he saw in health coaching: “We used to love it in the health coaching and nutrition and fitness world because it gave us insights into our client’s condition, their true condition, more than we could possibly get any other way.”
The Business Case for Functional Lab Testing
Let’s talk about something most certification programs avoid: how this actually builds your practice.
When you can show clients objective data about what’s happening in their body, several things happen:
Credibility increases immediately. You’re not just another health coach with opinions. You’re presenting hard numbers that explain why they feel the way they do.
Compliance improves dramatically. Clients follow through on your recommendations because they see evidence of what needs to change. Those numbers keep them accountable.
Results become consistent. When you’re working from data instead of guessing, your success rate goes up. Consistent results create referrals.
You can charge premium fees. Practitioners with advanced diagnostic skills command higher fees because they deliver better outcomes. Many FDN practitioners build six-figure practices.
Client retention extends naturally. When clients see their markers improving, they stay engaged. You’re not hoping they stick around. You’re tracking their progress together.
Reed Davis emphasizes this point about the data: “These numbers really do mean something. They’re not to be ignored. The idea that you might be pre-diabetic… everyone knows they don’t want to be diabetic these days.”
The numbers create urgency. They motivate change. And they keep your clients engaged through their healing journey.
How Insulin Testing Completes the Picture
When Fluids IQ (FDN’s lab partner) added fasting and non-fasting insulin as optional markers to the Stress and Hormone Profile, it gave FDN practitioners access to an even more comprehensive assessment tool.
Dr. Gonshor explains the importance: “Elevated fasting insulin or insulin dysregulation after glucose ingestion, in either case, these are hallmarks of insulin resistance.”
You’re not waiting for your client’s blood sugar to spike into pre-diabetic or diabetic ranges. You’re seeing the insulin resistance developing before glucose becomes a problem. This gives you years of intervention opportunity.
The metabolic syndrome picture becomes clear. Insulin resistance caught early through this testing. High blood pressure, which is often present when clients seek help. High cholesterol and triglycerides usually found on standard blood work. Low HDL cholesterol as the “good” cholesterol drops. Central obesity that’s visible and measurable.
Dr. Gonshor shares a sobering statistic: “Metabolic syndrome is seen in greater than 30% of US adults. Greater than 50% of those who are over the age of 60. In fact, 80% or more of the US population have at least one component of this metabolic syndrome.”
Your clients are part of this statistic. The question is whether you’ll catch it early enough to help them reverse course.
The Path Forward for Serious Practitioners
If you’ve read this far, you’re likely in one of two camps. Either you’re already working with clients but frustrated by inconsistent results and ready to level up your skills. Or you’re considering a career in functional health and want to build on a solid foundation from the start.
Either way, functional lab testing isn’t optional anymore. The practitioners who can identify subclinical dysfunction, create data-driven protocols, and track objective progress are the ones building sustainable, successful practices.
The Stress and Hormone Profile is one of five core functional tests you’ll master in the FDN program. As you build your practice, you’ll have access to advanced versions and over 70 additional functional labs through our Medical Director Program.
Reed Davis describes the evolution of this test: “We used to love it in the health coaching and nutrition and fitness world because it gave us insights into our client’s condition, their true condition, more than we could possibly get any other way. The test has evolved… and now Fluids IQ have made it even better with the insulin.”
Your Next Step
The gap between health coaches who guess and practitioners who test keeps growing. Clients are more informed than ever. They’re looking for practitioners who can explain what’s actually happening in their body and create targeted protocols based on data.
FDN gives you the training, tools, and community to become that practitioner. You’ll learn to interpret functional labs, build effective protocols using the D.R.E.S.S. framework, and deliver consistent results that build your reputation and your practice.
The FDN certification includes lifetime access to comprehensive training materials. Twelve 1-on-1 mentorship sessions with experienced practitioners. Five functional tests to run on yourself so you learn by experiencing the process. Access to order 70+ functional labs through our Medical Director Program. Connection to a global community of 5,000+ health experts. And the opportunity to join our graduate program and business school for continued growth.
Most importantly, you’ll stop guessing and start testing.
Ready to transform your practice with functional lab testing?
Questions about whether FDN is right for you? Schedule a discovery call with our admissions team to discuss your practice goals and how our certification can help you achieve them. Book Your Discovery Call HERE.
“Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez and First Lady Phefelia Nez have been vocal proponents of healthy eating. President Nez found that plant-based eating shortened his recovery time after long-distance runs and helps him to maintain his weight loss. First Lady Nez provided us with one of her family-favorite soup recipes that we modified. We used the modified version for a course called Native Food for Life Online, offered through the American Indian Institute (AII) and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM). Minestrone is its Italian name, but the ingredients in this soup originated in the Americas. Chef Walter Whitewater said that growing up on the Navajo Nation, he used to harvest wild onions, carrots, garlic, and spinach. With the addition of frozen corn, canned beans, and zucchini squash, as well as the pasta, all foods that most community members have on hand or receive as part of the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), our version of this recipe is a favorite of Chef Walter. Serve with No Fry Frybread, No Fry Blue Corn Frybread, Homemade White Corn Tortillas, or Blue Corn Tortillas.” – Chef Lois Ellen Frank
Navajo Minestrone Soup
Ingredients
Makes approximately 2 quarts
2 cups cooked whole-grain pasta, such as mini farfalle (bow-tie pasta), penne, or elbows (approx. 1 cup uncooked)
1 tablespoon bean juice or water
1 small yellow onion, diced (approx. 1 cup)
3 carrots, peeled, cut into ⅛-inch-thick sticks, and halved into half-moon slices (approx. 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, sliced (approx. 1 cup)
½ cup frozen sweet corn kernels
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 zucchini, cut into ½-inch cubes (approx. 1 cup)
1 (15 oz.) can diced tomatoes, organic and no salt added, if possible
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup spinach, fresh or frozen
5 cups water
1 (15 oz.) can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (approx. 1½ cups)
1 (15 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed (approx. 1½ cups)
1 tablespoon fresh basil, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
½ teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 teaspoons New Mexico red chile powder, mild
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon black pepper, or to taste (optional)
Instructions
In a large, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Remove from heat, drain the cooking water, rinse with cold water to stop the pasta from cooking, and set aside.
In a separate soup pot, heat the bean juice over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté the onion for approximately 4 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. Add the carrots and the celery, and cook for an additional 5 to 6 minutes, stirring but letting the vegetables begin to caramelize. Add the corn and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring once to prevent burning. Add the roasted garlic and cook for another minute, stirring constantly to mix the garlic into the other ingredients. (The bottom of your pan will turn brown, and the vegetables should begin to caramelize.) Add the zucchini and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring to prevent burning. Add the diced tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring to completely mix into the other vegetables and deglaze the bottom of the pan. Add the spinach and water and bring to a boil. Then cover, reduce the heat to medium low, and let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.
Add the canned kidney and pinto beans, stirring them to blend with all the ingredients, then add the basil, oregano, thyme, red chile powder, flat leaf parsley, and black pepper, if using. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
Taste, season with more of any of the spices, if desired. Add the cooked pasta, stir, and bring to a boil. Cook for an additional 1 to 2 minutes until the soup is completely hot. (Do not cook the soup too long, as the cooked pasta may become overcooked.) Remove from heat. Serve.
In Fix Your Sleep Within 30 Days, hosted by Detective Ev, the focus is on sleep health. The episode features an in-depth conversation with Brenden Dougherty, CEO of MDbio, discussing sleep disorders and innovative solutions. The discussion highlights the alarming statistics around sleep issues, such as one in three Americans suffering from sleep problems and 85% of sleep apnea cases being undiagnosed.
Dougherty outlines a comprehensive approach to tackling sleep problems through quality improvement, insomnia treatment, and airway health. He explains the importance of personalized supplementation and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBTI), and introduces Sleep Corner, a program combining clinical diagnostics and telehealth consultations to provide an integrated approach to sleep health. The program includes an easy-to-use home sleep test that requires only a pulse oximeter and a chest sensor, offering a non-invasive way to diagnose sleep apnea. Dougherty also emphasizes the importance of addressing underlying stress and anxieties to improve overall sleep quality.
For practitioners, there are opportunities to incorporate these solutions into their practice. The episode concludes with recommendations for better sleep health and an appeal to engage more with the physical world than the digital realm for reducing stress.
Fix Your Sleep Within 30 Days: Topics
00:00 Welcome to the Health Detective Podcast
00:34 Introduction to Today’s Episode on Sleep
01:29 Meet Brenden Dougherty: CEO of MDbio
02:11 Evan’s Personal Sleep Struggles
03:12 Understanding Sleep Issues
06:04 The Complexity of Sleep
09:33 Pharmaceutical Alternatives and Sleep Solutions
16:16 The Importance of Sleep Quality
17:45 Addressing Insomnia and Airway Health
21:11 The Sleep Epidemic and Solutions
23:35 Understanding Medication Efficacy
24:23 Exploring Sleep Apnea
27:20 Introducing Sleep Corner
29:02 Sleep Corner’s Comprehensive Approach
35:23 Consumer Wearables and Sleep Data
38:08 Audience Q&A and Final Thoughts
Where to Find Brenden Dougherty
Go to our Health Detective Podcasts for more informational and functional health-oriented podcasts like this one.
When was the last time you thought about wholegrains?
If you’re like most Australians, probably… not recently. In fact, 75% of Australians aren’t meeting the recommended 48–50 grams of wholegrains each day. That’s a big deal because wholegrains are one of the simplest, most delicious ways to boost your long-term health.
Let’s dive into why wholegrains deserve a permanent place on your plate and how to get more of them in your day without sacrificing taste or convenience.
What Makes Wholegrains So Powerful?
Wholegrains are exactly that: whole. They contain all three natural parts of the grain — bran, germ and endosperm — giving them a powerhouse mix of:
Fibre for gut health
Vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, iron, magnesium and zinc
Antioxidants and phytonutrients
Slow-release carbohydrates for steady energy
Research shows that people who eat 50g or more wholegrains per day have:
⭐ Lower risk of heart disease ⭐ Lower risk of diabetes ⭐ Better blood sugar control ⭐ Improved digestive health ⭐ Reduced risk of bowel cancer (and other cancers)
So… What Counts as Wholegrain?
Wholegrains come in many forms, not just seeded bread.
Think:
Rolled oats
Wholemeal pasta
Wholegrain or seeded bread
Barley, quinoa, brown rice
Wholegrain crackers
Popcorn (yes, really!)
4 Simple Ways to Boost Your Wholegrain Intake
🔄 1. Switch your staples
Swap white bread, pasta or rice with wholegrain, wholemeal or brown versions. Try mixing 50/50 if you’re easing in.
🥣 2. Start your day with a bowl of wholegrains
Porridge, Weetabix, overnight oats or bircher muesli — all delicious ways to hit your target early.
🥪 3. Add grain variety at least once a week
Try quinoa in salads, barley in soups or freekeh in a pilaf.
🍞 4. Read the label
Look for “wholegrain” as one of the first ingredients and aim for products with at least 3 g of fibre per serve.
Wholegrains are one of the easiest nutrition wins you can make from today — and your body will thank you for every extra serve.
If you’d like personalised support to level up your nutrition, I’m here to help. Get in touch today!
Recent research links this food group to fewer wake-ups during the night and a 16 percent improvement in sleep quality
(Photo: Ayana Underwood/Canva)
Published November 18, 2025 11:15AM
We’ve all heard the gospel of sleep hygiene by now. No screens before bed. Keep your bedroom cool and cave-dark.
But a recent study out of the University of Chicago, published in the journal Sleep Health, suggests we might be starting in the wrong room. According to researchers, what you eat during the day—specifically how many fruits and vegetables you consume—could influence how well you sleep that night.
Which means the real secret to deeper sleep might go beyond blackout curtains and blue-light blockers—and include a cutting board and a bunch of broccoli. So, how exactly did researchers measure the link between what’s on your plate and what happens while you sleep?
How They Studied Sleep Quality and Food Intake
Researchers tracked 34 healthy adults—28 men and six women between the ages of 20 and 49—over several days. Participants logged what they ate using a nutrition app developed by the National Institutes of Health. At night, they wore actigraphs—wrist devices that objectively track movement and rest.
Researchers then analyzed how food choices affected a key sleep metric: the Sleep Fragmentation Index (SFI). Think of it as a restlessness meter—it tracks how often your sleep is broken up by micro-awakenings, many of which you won’t even remember. Lower scores mean deeper, more consolidated sleep.
“What people eat during the day can influence their sleep at night,” says Marie-Pierre St-Onge, co-senior author of the study and author of Eat Better, Sleep Better. Most of us can list culprits that mess with our rest (caffeine, doomscrolling, work stress), but we rarely think about the food that could improve it.
5 Cups of Fruits and Vegetables Per Day Equals Better Sleep
On days when participants ate more fruits and vegetables, their SFI was lower. The researchers found that hitting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) five-cup produce recommendation could correlate with roughly 16 percent less sleep fragmentation than eating none.
That number wasn’t a direct measurement but a projection based on statistical modeling. They adjusted for total calories to make sure the effect wasn’t just about eating more food in general. Even after controlling for energy intake, the link held.
Fruits and vegetables help regulate blood sugar and inflammation—two systems that can either settle or scramble your nervous system at night. They also deliver micronutrients, such as vitamin K, which can induce relaxation by reducing the stress hormone cortisol.
What about fiber? While this study only found a non-significant trend, St-Onge points to earlier research from her team showing that fiber was associated with more deep sleep. “This could be through gut microbiome modulation,” she says, which influences the release of short-chain fatty acids—molecules that upregulate sleep-promoting genes in the brain.
If 5 Cups Sounds Like a Lot, a Dietitian Suggests These Ways to Make Eating Your Fruits and Veggies Easier
Data from the CDC indicate that only about ten percent of U.S. adults meet recommended intake levels for fruits or vegetables. That’s super low, but getting your produce doesn’t need to feel like a full-time job.
1. Add Them to Meals You Already Like
“The most realistic strategy,” says registered dietitian Nicole Short, “is to build fruits and vegetables into the meals you’re already enjoying.” That means tossing spinach or kale into a smoothie, layering tomatoes or peppers into a breakfast sandwich, or adding steamed veggies or a side salad to a standard dinner. “When it becomes part of your routine,” she adds, “meeting the daily intake starts to feel realistic—and sustainable.”
2. Pack Produce in Your Bag or Stash Dried Fruit at Work
For busy or active people, time is often the biggest barrier. “Convenience is everything,” says Short. She recommends keeping ready-to-eat options on hand: pre-washed salad greens, a bag of baby carrots, and pre-cut fruits. Her go-to rule of thumb? “Always have grab-and-go produce in your work bag or pantry—dried fruit, apples, bananas, veggie snack packs.”
3. Try a Dietitian-Approved Sample Menu
The following menu will help you hit five cups of fruits and veggies each day:
Breakfast: smoothie with berries and spinach (≈ 1½ cups)
Lunch: grain bowl with roasted veggies (≈ 2 cups)
Snack: apple and baby carrots (≈ 1 cup)
Dinner: a dinner of your choice plus a side of broccoli or bell peppers (≈ ½ cup)
You don’t need to overhaul your entire nutrition philosophy—just sneak a few more plants into your plate and see what happens. Just don’t mistake a smoothie for a silver bullet—here’s where the study’s limits come in.
This wasn’t a randomized trial, and no one’s claiming broccoli is a miracle sleep drug. The researchers are clear: correlation doesn’t prove causation. This was an observational snapshot, and it didn’t account for all possible confounders—caffeine intake, stress levels, and training load. But considering the study used objective sleep monitoring, unlike much past research that relied on self-reporting, this is a significant advantage in terms of accuracy.
If fruits and vegetables can move the needle on sleep—even slightly—that could ripple into how you repair, restore, and perform.
The American Medical Association passed a resolution encouraging hospitals to offer healthy plant-based food options.
“Globally, 11 million deaths annually are attributable to dietary factors, placing poor diet ahead of any other risk factor for death in the world.” Given that diet is our leading killer, you’d think that nutrition education would be emphasized during medical school and training, but there is a deficiency. A systematic review found that, “despite the centrality of nutrition to a healthy lifestyle, graduating medical students are not supported through their education to provide high-quality, effective nutrition care to patients…”
It could start in undergrad. What’s more important? Learning about humanity’s leading killer or organic chemistry?
In medical school, students may average only 19 hours of nutrition out of thousands of hours of instruction, and they aren’t even being taught what’s most useful. How many cases of scurvy and beriberi, diseases of dietary deficiency, will they encounter in clinical practice? In contrast, how many of their future patients will be suffering from dietary excesses—obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease? Those are probably a little more common than scurvy or beriberi. “Nevertheless, fully 95% of cardiologists [surveyed] believe that their role includes personally providing patients with at least basic nutrition information,” yet not even one in ten feels they have an “expert” grasp on the subject.
If you look at the clinical guidelines for what we should do for our patients with regard to our number one killer, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, all treatment begins with a healthy lifestyle, as shown below and at 1:50 in my video Hospitals with 100-Percent Plant-Based Menus.
“Yet, how can clinicians put these guidelines into practice without adequate training in nutrition?”
Less than half of medical schools report teaching any nutrition in clinical practice. In fact, they may be effectively teaching anti-nutrition, as “students typically begin medical school with a greater appreciation for the role of nutrition in health than when they leave.” Below and at 2:36 in my video is a figure entitled “Percentage of Medical Students Indicating that Nutrition is Important to Their Careers.” Upon entry to different medical schools, about three-quarters on average felt that nutrition is important to their careers. Smart bunch. Then, after two years of instruction, they were asked the same question, and the numbers plummeted. In fact, at most schools, it fell to 0%. Instead of being educated, they got de-educated. They had the notion that nutrition is important washed right out of their brains. “Thus, preclinical teaching”— the first two years of medical school—“engenders a loss of a sense of the relevance of the applied discipline of nutrition.”
Following medical school, during residency, nutrition education is “minimal or, more typically, absent.” “Major updates” were released in 2018 for residency and fellowship training requirements, and there were zero requirements for nutrition. “So you could have an internal medicine graduate who comes out of a terrific program and has learned nothing—literally nothing—about nutrition.”
“Why is diet not routinely addressed in both medical education and practice already, and what should be done about that?” One of the “reasons for the medical silence in nutrition” is that, “sadly…nutrition takes a back seat…because there are few financial incentives to support it.” What can we do about that? The Food Law and Policy Clinic at Harvard Law School identified a dozen different policy levers at all stages of medical education and the kinds of policy recommendations there could be for the decision-makers, as you can see here and at 3:48 in my video.
For instance, the government could require doctors working for Veterans Affairs (VA) to get at least some courses in nutrition, or we could put questions about nutrition on the board exams so schools would be pressured to teach it. As we are now, even patients who have just had a heart attack aren’t changing their diet. Doctors may not be telling them to do so, and hospitals may be actively undermining their future with the food they serve.
The good news is that the American Medical Association (AMA) has passed a resolution encouraging hospitals to offer healthy food options. What a concept! “Our AMA hereby calls on [U.S.] Health Care Facilities to improve the health of patients, staff, and visitors by: (a) providing a variety of healthy food, including plant-based meals, and meals that are low in saturated and trans fat, sodium, and added sugars; (b) eliminating processed meats from menus; and (c) providing and promoting healthy beverages.” Nice!
“Similarly, in 2018, the State of California mandated the availability of plant-based meals for hospital patients,” and there are hospitals in Gainesville (FL), the Bronx, Manhattan, Denver, and Tampa (FL) that “all provide 100% plant-based meals to their patients on a separate menu and provide educational materials to inpatients to improve education on the role of diet, especially plant-based diets, in chronic illness.”
Let’s check out some of their menu offerings: How about some lentil Bolognese? Or a cauliflower scramble with baked hash browns for breakfast, mushroom ragu for lunch, and, for supper, white bean stew, salad, and fruit for dessert. (This is the first time a hospital menu has ever made me hungry!)
The key to these transformations was “having a physician advocate and increasing education of staff and patients on the benefits of eating more plant-based foods.” A single clinician can spark change in a whole system, because science is on their side. “Doctors have a unique position in society” to influence policy at all levels; it’s about time we used it.
For more on the ingrained ignorance of basic clinical nutrition in medicine, see the related posts below.
The Truth About Toxins’ Impact on Our Health: Summary
In The Truth About Toxins’ Impact on Our Health, Lindsay Dahl, Chief Impact Officer at Ritual and a long-standing environmental health advocate, discusses her journey and work in addressing toxic chemical pollution. The conversation revolves around the necessity of stricter regulations on toxic chemicals in consumer products, emphasizing the significant health risks posed by chemicals like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS found in everyday household items.
Dahl explains her entry into this field, initially focusing on state policy to remove harmful chemicals from children’s products, and highlights her extensive work, which includes helping pass numerous state and federal laws. She also addresses the complexity of scientific debates around toxicology and the challenges posed by misinformation on social media. Dahl advocates for more rigorous third-party testing for supplements and stresses the importance of consumer advocacy in pushing for stronger federal regulations.
Sharing insights from her book ‘Cleaning House: The Fight to Rid Our Homes of Toxic Chemicals,’ she emphasizes actionable steps for listeners, such as choosing toxin-free cookware and mattresses. The podcast underscores the critical need for awareness and proactive measures to limit exposure to harmful chemicals in our everyday environments.
The Truth About Toxins’ Impact on Our Health: Topics
00:00 Welcome to the Health Detective Podcast
01:37 Introducing Today’s Guest: Lindsay Dahl
02:54 Lindsay’s Journey into Environmental Health
05:16 The Impact of Toxic Chemicals
09:05 Corporate Greed and Scientific Debate
15:46 Navigating the Supplement Industry
22:11 Toxic Chemicals in Household Items
23:09 Toxic Flame Retardants in Furniture
23:47 The Impact of PFAS Chemicals
24:22 Choosing Safer Mattresses and Couches
24:59 Understanding Chemical Off-Gassing
26:15 Household Dust and Chemical Exposure
27:04 The Role of Social Media in Health Information
27:55 Navigating Misinformation and Pseudoscience
30:33 The Debate on Seed Oils
34:58 Scientific Consensus and Environmental Health
40:05 Advocating for Stronger Chemical Regulations
42:06 Final Thoughts and Recommendations
Where to Find Lindsay Dahl
Go to our Health Detective Podcasts for more informational and functional health-oriented podcasts like this one.
* This week’s note looks at a classic statin/heart-disease study from 1994 – the Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study (abbreviated to 4S).
* Simvastatin was made by Merck & Co. Merck funded, monitored, presided over and analysed all the data for the 4S study.
* The 4S study recruited 4,444 patients with heart disease. It intended to follow people until total mortality reached 440 deaths.
* The 4S study was the first to claim that statins reduced overall mortality. It was a gamechanger for statin manufacturers.
* This note presents and explains five main criticisms:
1) Conflicts of interest.
2) The study end.
3) The regional allocation.
4) The miracle finding.
5) The small peer group.
* Any one of the criticisms should have undermined the study. The five together should have condemned it and yet it is still being used today, more than 30 years on, to persuade people to take statins.
When it comes to managing diabetes, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Food choices, medication, stress, sleep and movement all play a role — and it can feel like a lot to juggle.
That’s where an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD) steps in, not just to tell you what to eat, but to help you understand how food works for your body and empower you to take control of your health with confidence.
Why Dietitians Are Key Players in Diabetes Care
Managing diabetes isn’t just about cutting sugar. Dietitians are trained to translate the science into real-life, practical strategies that fit your lifestyle. Whether you have type 1, type 2 or gestational diabetes, dietitians can help you:
Understand how different foods affect your blood glucose levels
Build balanced meals that keep you full and energised
Manage weight in a sustainable way (if needed)
Optimise carbohydrate quality, quantity, and timing
Improve cholesterol and blood pressure (if needed)
Reduce your risk of long-term complications
It’s Not About Perfection — It’s About Progress
Your dietitian will work alongside your GP, diabetes educator or endocrinologist to ensure your plan fits your medications, blood results and lifestyle. That’s where the magic happens — when nutrition, medicine and mindset all align.
Working with a dietitian often leads to: ✨ More stable blood glucose readings ✨ Improved HbA1c results ✨ More energy and confidence with food choices ✨ Less stress around “what to eat” ✨ Better long-term health outcomes
Ready to Take the Next Step?
If you’ve recently been diagnosed with diabetes or you’re ready to take your management to the next level, connecting with a dietitian can make a world of difference.
At Body Fusion, our experienced dietitians work closely with you to create realistic, flexible plans that fit your lifestyle — helping you feel confident, capable and in control of your health. Contact us today!
