Human & Planetary Health through Food Choices

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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 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 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 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.

Health News Update: Why Food Choices Matter Related to Aging 6.1.26 Hey there everyone: I keep writing about food simply because without a decent whole-foods unprocessed food plan, it is difficult to impossible to protect your health. This includes how well you respond to any medical treatment or even your spinal adjustment, or how many chronic conditions you develop, how many colds or infections you may get and how well you recover, what your weight is, how fatigued you are or not, how well you detoxify from our generally toxic environment, and on and on. Here is some context: “Aging is increasingly recognized as a biological process driven not only by genetic determinants but also by chronic environmental and lifestyle exposures. Among the most influential exposures is diet. The concept of inflammaging defined as a persistent, low-grade, systemic inflammatory state that develops with advancing age has emerged as a central mechanism linking aging immune decline and chronic disease. In conclusion, this hypothesis suggests that chronic consumption of ultra-processed foods may accelerate inflammaging through sustained immune activation, mitochondrial dysfunction, microbiome disruption, and cellular senescence. Recognizing ultra-processed diets as modulators of biological aging may provide novel preventive strategies to preserve immune function and delay the onset of age-related diseases.” https://d3c0gwnlszcu6i.cloudfront.net/uploads/Products/FPMPEB-Volume-3-Issue-1-Page-39-40.pdf?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&_kx=DvmM8IKQSAudAGT9qfUNAWhOBpB85ROZa5OG_o2eIyU.RBPf56 why ultra-processed food fuel inflammation, aging, and disease states Bottom Line: It is important to minimize exposure to these food-like objects for everyone, especially our children. And please realize that this hypothetical information is based upon observable and reasonable facts regarding dietary influences on gene expression and the real statistics of how unhealthy our nation is…it is hypothetical simply because absolute causation is difficult to ascertain due to the complexity of dietary interventional trials. With that said, there are many papers on this subject. When multiple papers are reviewed (meta-analyses or umbrella reviews), and they all end up with the same conclusion about ultra-processed foods (UPF’s): “Conclusions: High UPF consumption is associated with an increased risk of a variety of chronic diseases and mental health disorders. At present, not a single study reported an association between UPF intake and a beneficial health outcome. These findings suggest that dietary patterns with low consumption of UPFs may render broad public health benefits.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561424001225 UPF’s are not health promoting You might wonder what they mean by “high” consumption…and when you read the papers it is variable across all age groups, but with the understanding that even 10% of daily calories (a packet of chips) from UPF’s has measurable negative impacts on brain health, attention span and dementia risk. “Ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption is linked to over 30 adverse health outcomes, including several risk factors for dementia such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Each 10% increase in UPF intake was associated with lower attention scores (−0.05 points) and higher dementia risk (+0.24 points), independent of Mediterranean diet adherence. Higher UPF consumption is associated with poorer attention and increased modifiable dementia risk, independent of overall diet quality. https://alz-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dad2.70335 even 10% of food from UPF’s damages health and brain Can you imagine what exposure to these types of food will do to you or your loved ones over many years of habitual consumption? What’s on your plate will define your future. Do you remember that old saying: “You are what you eat”? It still is relevant, especially today.

Health News Update: Why Your Exposome Matters 5.25.26 Hello everyone: First of all, what is your exosome. Here is a definition from the CDC that I have refined slightly. What is the exposome? Success in mapping the human genome has fostered the complementary concept of the “exposome” which leads to the understanding of how different environmental exposures effect gene expression and thus health or disease states. Thus, the exposome can be defined as the measure of all the exposures of an individual in a lifetime and how those exposures relate to health or disease expression. An individual’s exposure begins before birth and includes both supporting and insulting environmental and occupational sources. Understanding how exposures from our environment, diet, lifestyle, etc. interact with our own unique characteristics such as genetics, physiology, and epigenetics impact our health is how the exposome will be articulated, meaning how our system responds and thus how we can model our exposome to foster healthy outcomes. https://archive.cdc.gov/www_cdc_gov/niosh/topics/exposome/default.html definition of exposome Bottom Line: From this information, you can pretty easily see that our exposome is fundamentally what we eat, think, do and what exposures we may have. This includes things like how much sunshine we get, how much air pollution or microplastics we might experience, how much we socialize, how much mental and emotional and financial stress we may be under and for how long, how much we move, and of course…the quality of the food we eat as well as when we eat (circadian influences). There are many more aspects to your exposome, but the important thing to consider is that all of these varied factors have one thing in common: they are all biological signals. The quality of these signals will affect the expression of our genetics and thus how healthy or sick we will be. On top of that, chronic health conditions and/or diseases rarely have a single cause, and that brings into focus how extremely important it is to understand your exposome. Some of the exposome we cannot control, yet the most foundationally important one we can: the foods you choose to eat. Currently, our country is in the midst of a chronic disease pandemic as reported by the CDC: As of 2023, approximately 76.4% of U.S. adults report having one or more chronic conditions, with over half of the population having two or more chronic conditions. This trend has been increasing, particularly among younger adults. https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2025/24_0539.htm health statistics It is not hard to figure out why…we have a pretty horrible exposome especially considering the fact that the average American consumes 60% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods which are known to undermine health and contribute to a 40% obesity rate and a whopping 93% of us are considered metabolically unhealthy. Wow… https://www.sanoviv.com/this-health-crisis-is-happening-in-the-u-s/ most are metabolically unfit = disaster Which leads to this statement: I have yet to witness recovery from chronic health conditions without a healthy food plan. Everything that our genes do or respond to depends on the biochemicals that we get from our food. This includes energy production, all detox functions, all repair, all immune actions, all pain and recovery, all inflammation resolution, how well we think, how well we fend off chronic conditions, how long our healthspan and lifespan are, how well we age, how well we respond to any treatment…everything. Food is such a critical and foundational biological signal that it is always the first place to start if you want to be your best…once you have that in place then look at the rest of your exposome and see what you can upgrade…this is the simplest way to optimize your lifestyle. What food plan is science revealing has the greatest benefits? It is the Green Mediterranean dietary food plan. Why not give it a 100% trial for 6 months and then tell me how much better you are feeling? It won’t fix everything, but you can’t fix much without it.

Health News Update: Herbs and Spices vs. Cholesterol 5.18.26 Hello everyone: Suppose you have a family history of cardiovascular disease, and you want to lower your cholesterol. The first thing would be to go to a predominantly plant-based food plan removing refined grains, added sugars, fried things, and consume a lot of fiber through enjoying as many green vegetables as you can. Is there anything else you could do? What about making these meals even more delicious with herbs and spices? Would that help your cause? Abstract : Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of global mortality, with elevated cholesterol as a major modifiable lipid risk factor. This narrative review synthesized evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials examining the effects of herbs, spices, and botanicals on total cholesterol (TC) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in adults with or at risk for dyslipidemia. Ten agents were identified with varying levels of evidence. Conclusions : This narrative review synthesized evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials evaluating the cholesterol-lowering and LDL-C-reducing effects of 10 commonly consumed herbs and spices. Black cumin, garlic, fenugreek, amla, and cinnamon demonstrated robust, statistically significant reductions in total cholesterol (typically 10–33 mg/dl) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (typically 10–35 mg/dl) across multiple independent meta-analyses, supported by plausible mechanisms involving HMG-CoA reductase inhibition, reduced intestinal cholesterol absorption, enhanced bile acid excretion, and PPAR activation. Ginger and dill showed more modest or variable effects, while cardamom, saffron, and turmeric powder exhibited insufficient or inconsistent evidence. Although individual effects are generally smaller than those of pharmacologic interventions and are limited by high heterogeneity and short intervention periods, the potential for additive benefits when multiple agents are incorporated into comprehensive plant-based dietary patterns suggests a meaningful cumulative impact on cardiovascular risk through lipid modification. Beyond their metabolic effects, these botanicals enhance palatability, align with cultural food traditions, generally require minimal cost or infrastructure, and exemplify culinary medicine approaches integrating nutrition and health promotion. Evidence supports their inclusion as functional dietary components for lipid management in individuals seeking non-pharmacologic approaches or as adjuncts to conventional therapies. Future research should prioritize standardized preparations, long-term cardiovascular outcomes, and pragmatic trials assessing combined effects within comprehensive whole-food, plant-based dietary interventions. https://www.academia.edu/3067-1345/3/1/10.20935/AcadNutr8095 herbs & spices lower cholesterol Bottom Line: Why not add some of these herbs and spices to your lifestyle food plan to not only improve the taste and enjoyment but with the additional cardiovascular protective effects? There are others that may assist also, such as bergamot, fenugreek, fermented foods, and don’t forget about fiber…approximately 95% of Americans are not meeting the recommended daily intake of fiber!!Yikes!! Eat more plants!!!