Health News Update: The Number 1 Killer vs. Food

Mark Smith • November 24, 2025

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Health News Update: The Number 1 Killer vs. Food                               11.24.25

Hello again everyone: As Thanksgiving approaches, it can be beneficial to consider that food can either be your worst poison or your best healer. For example, take the number one killer of people worldwide: cardiovascular disease. If you want to expand your health span and lifespan, consider adhering to an anti-inflammatory food plan. Also, consider that even though the available science points to the powerful effects of prevention through optimal food choices, our primary medical system remains focused on reactive healthcare that does little if anything to get to the underlying causes of illness. In today’s medical terms, prevention means early detection rather than strategies to avoid illness in the first place. This means that each of us has to take responsibility for our own health and welfare and use reactive healthcare when it is needed. This is why I write this blog…to keep on top of the latest science that can guide lifestyle upgrades that lead to better health and longevity…for you, and for me, and for everybody.

 

“In the last decade, several studies strengthened the idea that a diffuse and systemic inflammation is functionally associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The mechanism of atherogenesis, which underlies various acute cardiovascular events, is mainly considered an inflammatory process [1].

 

“The relationship between diet and CVD is well recognized: the aforementioned Mediterranean diet is considered a healthy dietary pattern, given its capacity to reduce CVD risk - an increment of approximately 2/9 in the score, that represents the adherence to Mediterranean diet, is associated with 33% reduction in cardiovascular-related mortality [10]. The effect of diet on CVD is also likely linked to the pro- or anti-inflammatory “power” of the diet itself. Indeed, generally, dietary patterns associated with a reduction in the global risk of CVD are also associated with a low

pro-inflammatory effect, as seen with the Mediterranean diet [11].”

 

https://www.academia.edu/28539014/Integrating_diet_and_inflammation_to_calculate_cardiovascular_risk?email_work_card=view-paper Inflammatory foods fuel heart and vascular disease.

 

Bottom Line: As we give thanks and express gratitude this holiday season, it can be very beneficial for your future health to know that what you eat can either help you avoid a heart attack or stroke, or it can push you towards one faster and faster. The time of year that we make resolutions is fast approaching. Will you resolve to safeguard your health by choosing to eat wisely? The good news is that health building choices are readily available and fairly easy to adopt. Best wishes to you and yours!!



After long and serious examination of insurance issues,  as of December 8th, 2025 we have elected to stop taking insurance assignment and become out of network providers. 


We believe third-party payers shouldn’t interfere with the relationship between a patient and their practitioner, influence medical decisions, or limit access to care. Therefore, we are a proud direct care provider. We do not accept insurance for our chiropractic services. Your case requires special attention, educational resources, communication, and time that is not covered by insurance companies.


We offer an entirely different treatment experience than traditional chiropractic offices. Our practice is built around longer, more effective, and less frequent visits making it more affordable. This move away from restrictive insurance policies benefits both of us by being able to keep our fees reasonably low as we reduce our overhead by being out of network. If for any reason you need to seek a doctor that takes insurance, we will be happy to recommend one that may be able to help.


Upon request, we can provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance provider for potential out-of-network benefit reimbursement. Please note that we do not communicate directly with insurance companies on your behalf. 

Full payment for services is due at the time of service. Payment is accepted via credit/debit card, cash or check and FSA/HSA card.


Special note on Medicare: If you are on Medicare, while we do not accept any insurance, including Medicare, we are required to submit your claim information to Medicare, and they will pay you directly.


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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.
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