Author Archives: Nan Windmueller
Diet’s Influence on Breast Cancer Risk
As we enter the twelfth month of the year, many begin thinking about making health promoting changes to their life styles, geared to reducing risks to their health and quality of life. According to a new survey of more than 2,000 women, conducted by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, only 28% of US women […]
Pumpkin Season
Many of us only think of pumpkins as we prepare for Halloween. But, they are a rich source of important nutrients, while being very affordable. If one buys a bright orange pumpkin, nearly the entire gourd [classified as a fruit] can be used. The sturdy exterior, once scraped clean, becomes an excellent deep-dish baking vessel […]
Dietary Lessons Learned from Epidemiology
Esteemed medical journal The Lancet values published studies from the Institute for Health Metrics, and Evaluation. In 2017, the institute completed its Global Burden of Disease report which detailed the impact of food habits affecting health and mortality in humans. This got my attention. “A small number of dietary risks had a large impact on […]
The Mind Diet
A hybrid of the DASH Diet [designed to reduce the incidence of high blood pressure], and the Mediterranean Diet [based on the longevity promoting dietary habits of populations bordering the Mediterranean Sea], the Brain Diet is designed to lower the risk of developing one of the more than 100 types of dementia, as our population […]
What is a Chickpea?
In writing about the Blue Zones, the six places in the world where a surprising number of people live with a good quality of life past their 100th birthday, I often mention a component of their diets that they all have in common…the legume, or bean. Blue Zones range from Asia, to the Mediterranean, to […]
Potassium’s Role in Managing Blood Pressure
It is not unusual for clients to be referred to me because they have been diagnosed with hypertension, high blood pressure. Elevated pressure of the blood’s flow against the walls of our blood vessels presents risks to our brains, hearts, kidneys, and eyes. Because of the potential seriousness of this condition, health care providers treat […]
Plant Based Diets- More Good News
The February, 2024 Journal of the American Medical Association [JAMA] Network Open addressed a common concern that there might be a link between a plant-based diet and hip fractures in postmenopausal women. The JAMA report actually included diets containing no animal products [vegan], as well as those with a small amount of animal foods [including […]
Avoid Meat Consumption – Advises European Diabetes Study Group
The European Association for the Study of Diabetes released new recommendations printed in the journal Diabetologia. Like so many US health care providers, and nutritionists, the European group recommends a plant-based diet to help manage glucose levels in diabetic patients, and to possibly prevent the onset of Type II Diabetes in those who have not […]
The Dirty Dozen
For years I have been a fan of the Environmental Working Group [EWG], a non-profit organization whose mission is to inform the public about the toxic substances in our foods, and environment. Moreover, this organization lobbies our government to promote regulations that result in safer foods, water, and air. Fearless in the face of mega-corporations, […]
How is Diet Linked to Vestibular Migraines?
Migraine headaches are not unusual, affecting more than 17% of women, and almost 6% of men. These episodes can be brief, or go on for a day, often causing pain that interferes with one’s life, reducing productivity, and sense of well being. Less well known is a more rare headache known as Vestibular Migraine, striking […]