Dr. Mark and Dr. Chip's Healthy Blogs

What a great weekend. It’s really starting to look like spring and I noticed the frogs are chirping. The old wives tale is that the frogs must see through ice thrice before there’s no more freezes so I think that means 2 more freezes. We’ll see how true this is. The sunshine and warm weather yesterday was so nice so be sure and get out and get that vitamin D activated, which is only done in sunshine. You can take all the artificial vitamin D you want but it doesn’t become activated without sunshine. Sunshine is good for you, in limited amounts, despite what the dermatologists say. Mankind has been in the sun for millennia so if people have skin problems, it’s not the sun’s fault, it’s that person’s immune system that is failing.             The theme for this month is Diet to the article that I sent along this week looks at the problems with eating junk food and all the sugary stuff that people get into. This type of “food” is...

Omega-3 Index More Predictive Than Cholesterol Levels Analysis by  Dr. Joseph Mercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE Your omega-3 index has a greater impact on risk of heart disease than does your cholesterol level Plant-based omega-3 ALA is converted in restricted amounts to EPA and DHA, but not in large enough amounts to support your brain and heart health EPA and DHA improve blood pressure, reduce inflammation and help slow the progression of Alzheimer's The best sources of EPA and DHA are fatty fish such as herring, anchovies and wild-caught Alaskan salmon, as well as grass fed beef and dairy that have a nearly 1-to-1 ratio of omega-3 to 6 The ketogenic diet is beneficial for many people as it helps with weight control and management and offers protection against a number of health ailments. Approached incorrectly, however, it can actually be harmful. In this short video Dr. Eric Berg warns, "The last thing you want to do is get the benefits of the ketogenic diet ...

            Well the weather has sure taken a nice upturn. It looks like maybe the groundhog was right and spring is coming a little earlier. We have had plenty of winter already since it started on Halloween last year so we’re all ready for spring. The question is, are you ready for spring and all the activities it brings? If your joints are achy and you feel sluggish and tired all the time, you’re not healthy. We specialize in getting people healthy so that they can feel great and have vibrant energy to do the things they want to do. What do you want to do?             I hope that you had a chance to look over the medical freedom information that I sent last week and had a little time to send letters to your Congressman. I found out that the one senator who is sponsoring one of the bills has been paid by Merck pharmaceuticals and this is her program, not health. If we ...

Wow - what a nice weekend. Sunday sure was nice and the sun is definitely getting stronger. Looks like rain and snow this week for a while but hopefully we’ll get back to good weather. We need more sunshine this time of year and we tell our patients it is even good to go to the suntan booth for 10 minutes a week. This is good to help activate vitamin D and just relax and get warm. Pretend you’re on a beach!             As were still in February, we’re still talking about heart health this month. Don’t forget our upcoming health shop tonight at 6 o’clock here at the office and on Facebook and Instagram. We will be talking about the heart sound recorder which is a great instrument to listen in on the valves of the heart, giving us an insight into what nutrition that person is lacking to strengthen the heart muscle so the valves work correctly. Most people that have valve problems or heart murmurs have a weakened heart muscle and...

Why is the Nutritional Testing We Do    So Important?             The answer to this is simple. People spend millions of dollars per year on vitamins, oils, super foods, super drinks, etc. and yet our health in this country is getting worse. This is because these people, who are trying to help their health, are listening to marketing and advertising information rather than knowing exactly what nutrition they need and how they need it. There is a lot to know in the nutrition field on the right kinds of nutrition so that it nourishes the body and helps the body to heal, and being able to get the patient’s body to a state where it will absorb the nutrition and utilize it correctly.             In doing our Nutrition Response Testing technique, we are able to learn from the body what state it is in. We can then determine what steps are needed to get the body workin...

The Benefits of a Cyclical Ketogenic Diet The MMT diet is a cyclical  ketogenic diet , high in healthy fats and fiber, low in net carbs with a moderate amount of protein. Nutritional ketosis is the metabolic state associated with an increased production of ketones in your liver; i.e., the biological reflection of being able to burn fat, and is defined as having blood ketones in the range of 0.5 to 3.0 mmol/L. However, a key component that differentiates MMT from most other ketogenic eating plans is its emphasis on CYCLICAL ketosis. Once your body starts to burn fat for fuel, you need to switch to a cyclical ketogenic diet, as long-term continuous ketosis has some serious drawbacks that may actually undermine your health and longevity. The "metabolic magic" in the mitochondria actually occurs during the refeeding phase, not during the starvation phase. Alas, you cannot get to that magic unless you first go through the starvation phase. This is why we refer to the MMT p...

Vegetables are low in calories but rich in vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients. In addition, many are low in carbs and high in fiber, making them ideal for low-carb eating. Whether you're on a low-carb eating or not, eating more vegetables is always a great idea. Here is a list of the  10 best low-carb vegetables to include in your eating plan. 1. Bell peppers  are anti-inflammatory and high in vitamins A and C. They contain 6 grams of digestible (net) carbs per serving. 2. Broccoli  contains 4 grams of digestible carbs per serving. It's high in vitamins C and K and may reduce insulin resistance and help prevent cancer. 3. Asparagus  contains 4 grams of digestible carbs per serving. It's a good source of several vitamins and may help protect against certain types of cancer. 4. Mushrooms  contain 1 gram of digestible carbs per serving. They can reduce inflammation in people with metabolic syndrome. 5. Zucchini  and other types of summer squas...

Breakfast:   Start your day off with a good source of protein, such as, Eggs (organic or free range), Uncured Bacon, Sausage (with no sugar or MSG), and Nuts that are high in protein, such as, Macadamia, Almonds, Walnuts, Pecans, and Cashews.   You could mix these nuts with some plain Greek Yogurt.   A protein powder shake is another good choice, make sure your powder is low in sugar, in your shake you can add a few blueberries, avocados, spinach, and kale.   To make it dairy free just use water or unsweetened Almond or Coconut milk.   Another idea is to have a no sugar nut butter on celery or cucumber slices. (great for lunch too) There are lots of great ways to fix Eggs, scrambled, boiled, over easy/hard, omelets with veggies. The day before or on the weekend to get ready for your busy week, make up an egg casserole with sausage and veggies, top with cheese if you can have dairy.   Cut in squares and baggie up squares for a ready to go breakfast in ...

Ketogenic Diet May Be Key to Cancer Recovery By Dr. Mercola To some, a ketogenic diet amounts to nothing less than a drug-free cancer treatment. The diet calls for eliminating carbohydrates, replacing them with healthy fats and protein. The premise is that since cancer cells need glucose to thrive, and carbohydrates turn into glucose in your body, then cutting out carbs literally starves the cancer cells. This type of diet, in which you replace carbs with moderate amounts of high quality protein and high amounts of beneficial fat, is what I recommend for everyone, whether you have cancer or not. It’s simply a diet that will help optimize your weight and health overall, as eating this way will help you convert from carb burning mode to fat burning. Ketogenic Diet May Be Key to Brain Cancer Recovery The featured video shows Thomas Seyfried, Ph.D, who is one of the leaders in teasing the details of how to treat cancer nutritionally. I am scheduled to interview him shortly ...