Health News Update: Health is Your Most Valuable Asset

Mark Smith • January 6, 2025

This blog is a bit different as it is more of an essay, because it is my sincere wish for each of you that you fully embrace a healthy lifestyle for 2025 and beyond. Health is built on many components, and if you were to choose just one to get started, it would be to seriously upgrade your food choices, which specifically means a whole food, unprocessed or minimally processed (home cooking), plant-based food plan. Why?


As you have heard me say, over and over, that inflammation will cause, perpetuate, and/or aggravate ALL chronic conditions and diseases plus it makes us susceptible to acute illness such as infections (flu, mono, Covid, etc.). As noted in the Journal of the American Medical Association (1), the Standard American Diet (SAD) is the leading cause of death and disability in our country and many others. It used to be that the leading causes of death were Communicable Diseases, i.e., infections. Today, the leading causes of death are Non-Communicable Diseases (NCD’s) such as heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, dementia…these chronic degenerative diseases are responsible for over 70% of all deaths worldwide. (2)


Additionally, while we are living longer, we are living sicker. This means that our healthspan is about 10 to 15 years shorter than our lifespan…this is a deplorable condition that I have seen so many suffer through with progressive disability, suffering, and an early and unpleasant death spiral. At this moment, about 40% of us have multiple chronic health conditions while nearly 60% are burdened with at least one chronic health diagnosis…and this situation has only been forecasted to worsen significantly. (3,4)


The tragedy is that this situation is largely preventable. You already know that food is the leading cause of death and disability…so what foods are they talking about? The researchers are talking about the Standard American Diet, also known as SAD…which is unfortunately a very fitting abbreviation. The SAD is notable for a high consumption of processed and ultra-processed foods, added sugars, saturated fats, refined carbohydrates, processed meats, red meat, additives, colorings, flavor enhancers, sugary drinks, higher pesticide and chemical burdens, and refined grains…and lacking in clean sources of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and leaner protein sources. (5) The SAD diet is notable for high energy density and low nutrient density...a recipe for illness.


All cellular processed require nutrition, not just calories. No single food has all of the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, fiber, protein, fat, and carbohydrates that we need to thrive and remain robust and resilient. Consuming a diet that results in insufficiency, deficiency, or an excess of nutrients will eventually lead to some type of illness, disease, or condition as well as predispose you to becoming chronically inflamed, ill, or just sick.


The SAD diet has been linked to many chronic diseases primarily because it leads to uncontrolled, chronic, background inflammation that drives health degeneration. Current research states that on average both children and adults consume 60% of their daily caloric intake from ultra-processed foods and only 10% of us meet the daily requirements for recommended fruit and vegetable intake (5, 6, 7) and 73% of our food supply is ultra-processed. Additionally, many studies have revealed that this type of ‘food’ is directly linked to many diseases and conditions and has been categorized as a high inflammatory potential diet. (8) An inflammatory dietary pattern will cause, perpetuate, and/or aggravate all of the leading causes of death and disability…or as some research puts it, “The chronic inflammatory state significantly contributes to the development and progression of many noncommunicable disease processes, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurocognitive decline.” (13)


On the flip side, a diet that consists of minimally processed, whole food, plant-based sources of nutrient dense, low inflammatory potential, and calorically appropriate foods is associated with fewer diseases, better health, less disability and an overall higher quality of life. It even helps when you are already not feeling well. (9,10,11,12,13,14)


In my practice and clinical experience, without an optimal food plan, no amount of adjustments, vitamins, herbs, exercise, or stress reduction will work nearly as well as they should, if at all. Additionally, you should know that if you would like to experience healthy aging, an anti-inflammatory food upgrade is essential…and this includes both physically and cognitively.


By now, I hope you are at least curious about consuming an anti-inflammatory, unprocessed, clean, whole food plant-based dietary lifestyle. This is not a sprint…we are all in it for the long haul and slow and steady (consistency) wins the race. Invest in yourself by taking classes in how to create your optimal food plan. I have recently taken several courses and gotten a lot out of them and upgraded our foods even more. (15,16,17,18,19) Undoubtably there are more classes out there…let me know what you find!


Remember, you can start slowly and gradually work your way into this upgrade/shift. For example, in week one, you can start with 2 or 3 plant based lunches and next week add a breakfast, and so on. You can reduce your animal foods gradually at a pace you can be comfortable with. Just start…go plant-based and see what happens…you have nothing to lose (except some unwanted pounds and inflammation) and everything to gain.


Part of being a good steward and tending your Temple is realizing that food is an essential part of our worship. We would never put diesel into our gas tank, nor should we put ultra-processed ‘food like things’ into our Temple. So, this is my New Years wish for you and yours: freedom from disability, illness, and disease, a massive recovery if you need it, and the feeling of vibrant health always. Thank you for your time and attention…all the best for 2025!




References:

1.      https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2678018 (see Figure 2)

2.     https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10830426/

3.     https://chronicdisease.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/FS_ChronicDiseaseCommentary2022FINAL.pdf

4.     https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.1082183/full

5.     https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/western-diet

6.     https://foodtank.com/news/2022/11/database-indicates-u-s-food-supply-is-73-percent-ultra-processed/

7.     https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/overall-diet-quality-may-be-more-important-than-how-much-ultra-processed-foods-you-eat#Why-ultra-processed-foods-are-unhealthy

8.     https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/overall-diet-quality-may-be-more-important-than-how-much-ultra-processed-foods-you-eat#How-to-have-a-more-healthy-diet

9.     https://health.unl.edu/health-benefits-anti-inflammatory-diet-10-foods-eat-and-6-avoid/

10.   https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anti-inflammatory-diet

11.    https://www.henryford.com/blog/2020/07/health-benefits-antiinflammatory-diet

12.   https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/quick-start-guide-to-an-antiinflammation-diet

13.   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK597377/

14.   https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8389628/

15.   https://simplyplantbasedkitchen.com/

16.   https://thriving.foodrevolution.org/join/?frn_source=blog&frn_medium=link&frn_campaign=ppt&frn_content=menu

17.   https://hellonutritarian.com/nutritarian-power-prep-program/

18.   https://cookingcourse.forksoverknives.com/

19.   https://www.drfuhrman.com/blog/210/beginners-guide


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Health News Update: Pesticides, Cancer & Why Go Organic

By Mark Smith • June 29, 2026
Health News Update: Pesticides, Cancer & Why Go Organic 6.29.26 Hello everyone: Slowly but surely, despite the health and food industries downplaying the risks, evidence is emerging that the long-term consumption of trace amounts of toxic chemicals can add up to some serious health consequences. “Our process-based model, encompassing 31 key pesticide active ingredients, together with an innovative stratification of cancer cases by developmental lineage, reveals a robust spatial association between environmental pesticide exposure risk and cancer incidence. In pesticide-associated cancer hotspots, exposomic profiling of liver tissue—a primary target of chemical carcinogens—uncovers a distinct transcriptomic signature of pesticide exposure, implicating a non-genotoxic mode of action that disrupts core regulatory circuitries sustaining cell identity. Collectively, these findings strongly support a mechanistic link between pesticide exposure and cancer, challenging assumptions of human non-carcinogenicity derived from reductionist experimental models. This study redefines the exposome as a lineage-conditioned, mechanistically tractable framework and shows how complex pesticide mixtures can contribute to carcinogenic trajectories, with profound and far-reaching implications for global health policy and socio-ecological equity.” https://www.nature.com/articles/s44360-026-00087-0 pesticide exposure & cancer risks Bottom Line: Whenever possible, purchase your food from organic sources including local farmers that use regenerative and organic practices. Not all foods need to be organic, and to decide which ones absolutely need to be, you can access the Environmental Working Group’s yearly list of the Dirty Dozen foods that are the highest in pesticide residues. This will also include the Clean 15 foods that do not need to be organic as they are usually grown without or with very low pesticide levels. https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php dirty dozen food guide Additionally, high quality nutrients support the natural detox processes our bodies use to get rid of any and all toxins. When we consume the Standard American Diet or Westernized Diet, we are low in the nutrients and co-factors needed to support optimal detox cleansing. So always start with food upgrades as they will carry your upgrade the farthest. Remember that most chronic health conditions start 20 years before you even notice them creeping up or becoming diagnosed. What you do now is creating your future. It used to be said that you are what you eat. Another way to say that is we become what we eat…so please take good care and make sure you always put high grade fuel into your Temple.

Health news Update: High Fat Diets Promote Inflammation and Illness

By Mark Smith • June 22, 2026
Health news Update: High Fat Diets Promote Inflammation and Illness 6.22.26 Hello again: This news has been slow to surface with the popularity of keto and paleo dietary trends, but the following information is what is known about the typical Standard American Diet, also known as the Western Diet. “Conclusion : HFD-associated low-grade inflammation results from overlapping effects of dysbiosis and high fat intake, with crosstalk between microbiota and fat-driven inflammatory processes independent of gut flora involving multiple mechanisms. For this reason, it is difficult to determine what occurs first, thus, HFD-driven dysbiosis and HFD-related inflammation should be considered partially independent but closely correlated mechanisms.” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8619527/ High fat promotes inflammation Bottom Line: As you all know by now, inflammation will cause, perpetuate, and/or aggravate every known illness or condition, including aging. The next logical question is what to eat? The answer is the Green Mediterranean food plan…which essentially going vegan but allowing some animal-based foods no more than 3 times per week. This takes some planning but is most easily achieved by using a ‘crowding out’ method. This is simply accomplished by including more and more unprocessed, whole plant-based foods in place of processed or fatty foods and naturally reducing those less than healthy items. Below is some more information to help you make the switch…knowing that you can improve your day-to-day nutrition by making small consistent upgraded choices is critical. Upgrades to improve your health path do not usually arise from one big resolution but from those small individual choices made every day…and these add up to some major improvements over several months and longer. “The gut microbiota is responsible for recovering energy from food, providing hosts with vitamins, and providing a barrier function against exogenous pathogens. In addition, it is involved in maintaining the integrity of the intestinal epithelial barrier, crucial for the functional maturation of the gut immune system. The Western diet (WD)—an unhealthy diet with high consumption of fats—can be broadly characterized by overeating, frequent snacking, and a prolonged postprandial state. The term WD is commonly known and intuitively understood. However, the strict digital expression of nutrient ratios is not precisely defined. Based on the US data for 1908–1989, the calory intake available from fats increased from 32% to 45%. Besides the metabolic aspects (hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, dyslipidemia, sympathetic nervous system and renin-angiotensin system overstimulation, and oxidative stress), the consequences of excessive fat consumption (high-fat diet—HFD) comprise dysbiosis, gut barrier dysfunction, increased intestinal permeability, and leakage of toxic bacterial metabolites into the circulation. These can strongly contribute to the development of low-grade systemic inflammation.”

Health News Update: Meal Timing Makes a Significant Difference

By Mark Smith • June 15, 2026
Health News Update: Meal Timing Makes a Significant Difference 6.15.26 Hey there everyone: There are more and more papers coming out about meal timing and they pretty much all point to the same conclusion: “These study results are observational, so not proof of causation, but it fits broader chrononutrition science showing that aligning meals with daytime circadian biology supports metabolic and overall health.” — Monique Richard, MS, RDN, LDN https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/eating-breakfast-late-linked-biological-aging-depression-oral-health?utm_source=Sailthru%20Email&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=sundaysupplement&utm_content=2025-09-14&apid=32362300&rvid=24561ae4b347411c6ae1874dad579a0aedec4a5e471e9b3b5a21dc0826faa6b9#Eating-breakfast-later-in-the-day-linked-to-several-health-issues eating breakfast important for long term health Bottom Line: To achieve a meal timing pattern that is in harmony with your circadian clock, consider what the authors provided: Anchor the Day Early: Aim to eat breakfast within one to two hours of waking, most days. A simple pattern like breakfast: 7–8 a.m., lunch: noon–1 p.m., dinner: 5–7 p.m. works for many families and individuals, allowing for possible snacks as necessary, keeping a consistent window of sleep and fasting open ~10–12 hours, and try to avoid snacking two to three hours before bed. Front-Load Protein: Target ~25–30 g protein at breakfast (e.g., Greek yogurt + nuts + berries ; eggs + beans + veg; protein-fortified oatmeal ). Distributing protein across meals supports muscle function, brain health, satiation, and numerous other functions. Eat Early and Evenly: A protein-strong breakfast, a steady midday meal, and a light, timely dinner, hydration in between, coupled with laughter and loved ones. This schedule pretty much is defined as eTRF, or early Time Restricted Feeding, which is known to have multiple benefits including weight loss and management, blood sugar balancing, improving sleep, and more.

Health News Update: How to Use Red Light Therapy to Heal/Recover

By Mark Smith • June 8, 2026
Health News Update: How to Use Red Light Therapy to Heal/Recover 6.8.26 Hello everyone: Recently I was able to use red-light therapy to overcome some chronic pain issues that were not responding to nutritional support, anti-inflammatory supplements, massage therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic treatments. What actually turned the corner for me what something that I learned while researching red-light therapy that no one has ever mentioned before…and it is not included anywhere that I can find on the sales information for any red-light device. The answer to make red light optimally effective is simply to use it every other day. So, what’s up with that? Some basics: Red- light therapy is also called, Low Level Light Therapy (LLLT), or Photobiomodulation. It has been well established that certain frequencies in the infra-red spectrum can stimulate biological mechanisms that promote increased cellular function and thus push forward a healing response. The most effective researched wavelengths are 660 nm. and 850 nm. and used together can be a powerful way to advance repair and reduce pain. Most devices that are currently available on the internet have those frequencies, a built-in timer, and intensity controls. They come in all shapes and sizes, from ones that fit shoulders, hands, feet, the face, the back, the entire body, hips, knees, and even the head/skull. It has even been used for dry eyes, but in that application, I recommend that you consult an eye specialist. These units vary in price from a reasonable amount, depending on the size of the array, to a ridiculous amount. As far as I can tell, if they have the right wavelengths and adequate power (which is in Watts, such as 12 Watts), most of the mid-range priced ones can be reasonably assumed to be adequate. And what could you consider the use of red-light therapy for: · Joint pain · Lower inflammation · Enhance immune functions · Headaches · Arthritis · Strain/sprain injury recovery · Acne · Wrinkles · Scars · Hair loss · Eczema · Psoriasis · Wound recovery · Chronic pain · Improve energy Bottom Line: There is considerably more to the science that I am not covering, but one thing about the science that is critical to know is that in order to get the best results there is something called the bi-phasic response. It goes something like this: low levels of light stimulation enhances physiologic healing and cellular function(s), while higher or excessive dosages can inhibit healing and cellular functions. This biological response is called the Arndt-Schultz law…which is also known as a ‘hormetic’ response. The best way to take advantage of this science is to just use any red-light therapy device every other day. You could, for example use LLLT on your left knee and shoulder today, and tomorrow on another body part but not the same area 2 days in a row. This has proved rather miraculous for me, and I wanted to pass this along. One last tidbit: keep the red-light source close to or on bare skin, not more than an inch away. It can takes weeks to months to reach full benefit, so don’t give up too early. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12967-025-07466-3 Using light to heal.
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