Grow Healthy
With Dr. Sally's
"Vital Signs" Blog
Now that summer is in full swing, cool crisp coleslaw is on the menu, and it’s the perfect balance to a hearty barbecue! I often find traditional coleslaw too sweet, too sour, or too soggy, so I’ve given this a lighter Asian twist. It got rave reviews in my recent Spring Clean Your Body course, so I had to share it with you, just in time for the 4th of July.
Teff (Eragrostis tef) is indigenous to Ethiopia and Eritrea, where it has served as the daily staple for roughly 90 million people for thousands of years. It is a stress-tolerant, fast-growing cereal grain that is still cultivated using ancient farming methods. Teff has been growing in international popularity in recent decades, as health-conscious consumers seek out ever more gluten-free options.
It’s all about the chopped salad, my friends. It may not sound very glamorous. At least that’s what I thought before I tried Wolfgang Pucks’ Chopped Salad in Las Vegas years ago. It was AMAZING…of course! I created my own version of this wonderful salad, and I’m sharing it with your today. I love this salad because it allows me to use all those leftover veggies and the previous night’s protein on a base of greens. It’s always a winner at my house because there are so many different flavor combinations that I can easily create!
If you’re struggling to lose weight, improve your energy, lower your blood pressure and blood sugar without radically changing what you’re eating, then it’s time to learn about intermittent fasting. Intermittent Fasting (IF), also known as Time-Restricted Eating (TRE), is more about when you eat than what you eat. It’s a pattern of eating in a shorter window of time and extending your natural, overnight fast.
One of the silver linings of this pandemic is that people are more engaged in their personal health than ever! They're more interested in understanding the root cause their health problems and doing all they can to protect themselves from both acute and chronic illness. But the key question continues to be: What else can I do to strengthen my immunity? Though it may seem odd, one of my answers is to eat some mushrooms!
After a year of the pandemic, have you ever been more ready for spring? In California, everything is turning green and it’s almost warm enough to get your herbs in the ground. By summer, you’ll be looking for ways to use all those bushy basil plants. Meanwhile, grab a bunch or two of basil at the market and make this pesto and my updated minestrone soup (sans the pasta).
After decades of focus on the heart, cardiovascular disease still remains the leading cause of death in the United States. But it doesn’t have to be this way: we now know that most heart disease can be prevented and even reversed! Yet nearly half of adult Americans have high blood pressure. And most don’t know it. Nor do they realize that high blood pressure leads to heart attacks and stroke. So instead of giving candy hearts and wilting flowers this V-Day, here are some simple but lasting ways to keep your heart open and express affection to those you love.
This Argentinian “green sauce” is filled with flavor and key phytonutrients that support our health. It’s traditionally served with grilled meat but is equally good over veggies, beans and rice, eggs, fish, chicken, pork or beef. Apigenin is the powerful phytonutrient in parsley and cilantro that reduces oxidative damage, supports a balanced immune response, and fights cancer.
VIDEO: Did you know that the word “recipe” has its origins in French and means “medical prescription”? This chicken soup fills the Rx: it’s full of the flavors, colors, and nutrients of Nature. Real food to nurture your body, mind, and spirit!
Here are a few of the medicinal qualities of chicken soup:
If you’re feeling a bit stir-crazy being stuck inside while we wait for the pandemic to resolve, you’re not alone. This IS crazy-making! After all, we are animals that are built to be in motion. Our ancestors were up at the crack of dawn, in constant search of food and shelter so they could simply survive. While industrialization and technology have freed us from heavy physical labor, they’ve led to several generations of “couch potatoes” with a range of chronic diseases. And the pandemic has only made it worse as we’re all living online.
Yes, it’s been 10 years since my first “Dry January” and “ Whole 30”. And I’m doing them again this year. Trust me, it gets easier every time! Dry January, as in skipping alcohol the first month of the year, has a special appeal this trip around the sun. With the isolation of the pandemic, alcohol sales have skyrocketed, along with rates of anxiety and depression, lack of exercise, weight gain, and a LOT more screen time.
After 2020, it’s high time to support and renew your health. After all, your amazing body is constantly renewing itself: recycling old cells and creating new ones, 24/7. Each and every day, the cells lining your intestinal tract (your “inner skin”) and your “outer skin” cells are shed as a new layer surfaces and the old cells slough off. Every month, your liver regenerates itself and each year, your skeleton is renewed. Automatically, without your conscious thought.
As we head into the winter holidays, we want to shine and reflect a healthy glow from within. But excess sugar and alcohol, along with poor diet and sleep, often keep us from looking and feeling our best. Over time, they take their toll, so let's focus on what we can do today to ensure that we age gracefully tomorrow.
No matter what you call them, your breasts deserve some special attention and protection. Breast cancer will affect 1 in 8 women and we know it is driven by diet and lifestyle. Given that diet might be responsible for 30-40% of all cancers, it makes sense to take a good look at whether your diet is working for you or against you.
If you could take just one step to create a healthier future full of vitality and free from both acute and chronic diseases, it would be to fight inflammageing. While this hybrid term has been picked up by the beauty industry because of the clear-cut connection between inflammation and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, inflammageing is more than skin deep.
Does it feel like self-care has gotten a bad rap…that it’s selfish or indulgent, like getting a mani-pedi, buying a luxury cream, or taking an expensive get-away? While those can be transformative, I’m referring to the way we actually care for ourselves on a day-to-day basis: what we eat, whether we move our bodies, how well we manage stress, and the connections we maintain.
As we head into this fall, almost every patient I see is concerned about the health of his or her immune system. Between hurricanes and smoke from the wildfires, not enough exercise and too much sugar, and feeling run down from the constant stress of this “new normal”, it’s time to take a look at how we got here and make a plan to optimize your health now!
Let’s face it; this fall’s cold and flu season is shaping up to be a real challenge. Almost every patient I see expresses concern about the health of their immune systems and the ability to withstand the challenges ahead. So in this time of unprecedented concern about the global pandemic of COVID-19, you’ll be happy to know that you don’t have to be a sitting duck, just waiting to get sick.
