Strengthening your brain can help you find diet success.You have to be a warrior for your health. You’re presented with daily battles in keeping to your diet. Ads for cheeseburgers, enticing dessert menus, and limited edition holiday candies are ready to knock you off your nutritional track. It's essential to mentally prepare in order to overcome these temptations. Learn to resist temptation. Food can trigger inflammation and the release of stress hormones. It can also affect neurotransmitters and digestion. You must MASTER your mind and body. M - mindset over your brain and bodyA - assessment of what you need to changeS - sustenance to eat like a warriorT - training to make new daily habits that help youE - essence of turning your pain into purposeR - responsibility to do it for the rest of your life Here are some tips to start improving your mind now:

Wake in the morning and hydrate with a little lemon, ginger and cayenne pepper.

Journal your plans for the next day with intention before going to bed. See what you’ve accomplished and what you learned from it.

Plan your meals ahead of time.

Listen as brain warrior Tana Amen joins Dr. Mike Fenster to discuss how to find dieting success.

Learn about improving your bone health.If you’re suffering from chronic disease, it’s time to look to your food as medicine. Your body rebuilds tissues with proper nutrition. Nutrition can help with the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. Learning about how bones are built and how your food is processed assists in making choices for maximum calcium absorption. There are a few things you can do to improve bone health immediately. Look at your vitamin K2 consumption. Improve your cardio health. Implement herbed bone vinegar in your recipes. Listen as Dr. Laura Kelly joins Dr. Mike Fenster to explore how nutrition affects bone health.

Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest savory recipe.In this segment, Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest creation for Culinary CPR: Chickpea Soup. Ingredients

1 quart chicken stock

1 breast skinless chicken breast, diced

1 cup chickpeas (cooked)

1 sweet potatoes, small diced

1 small to medium onion, diced

½ bulb fresh fennel, diced

Luca’s Tajine Spice blend, to taste

½ bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

salt & pepper, to taste

chopped scallions, to garnish

DirectionsIn large sauce pan, sauté chicken with Tajine our blend of cumin coriander and chili powder seasoning.When chicken is cooked, remove from pan and set aside.In same sauce pan sauté onions, sweet potatoes and fennel until translucent.Add chickpeas and chicken stock and simmer for around 15 minutes. Add cooked chicken and cilantro. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved.Salt and pepper to taste.

You may be able to arrest health symptoms with the GAPS diet.Many health issues are a direct result of the foods you eat. The modern Western diet plays with pleasure centers, preventing you from recognizing the symptoms in your body after eating non-optimum foods. Becoming Predisposed to Health IssuesThere are more caesarean sections than in prior generations. This means fewer babies are passing through the birth canal to get a dose of mothers’ vaginal bacteria. Vaccines, antibiotics, environmental toxins and processed foods disrupt a baby’s gut bacteria. The bad bacteria start to outweigh the good. They attack the good bacteria, weakening the gut lining. The weakened gut lining leads to undesirable health conditions. Once you are diagnosed with a health condition, it’s hard to undo the mechanics that landed you there. Using quality ingredients and spending more time in the kitchen can improve your health. The GAPS DietStarted by Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride, the Gut and Psychology Syndrome (GAPS) diet is an elimination diet that cuts out anything that could deliver bad bacteria, such as boiled meats, broth, non-fibrous vegetables and veggies without stalks. Each stage takes a few days. Foods are reintroduced slowly. Bad bacteria will kick and scream to save themselves. It’s not unusual to feel ill while on the diet. If a reintroduced food makes you feel sick, return to the prior stage of the diet without that food for a few more days. Listen as Hilary Boynton joins Dr. Mike Fenster to share how you can use food to improve your health.

Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest savory recipe.In this segment, Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest creation for Culinary CPR: Maple Glazed Duck Breast. Ingredients

4 duck breasts, skin on 

1/4 cup maple syrup 

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper 

1 tbsp brown sugar 

1 pinch salt

DirectionsUsing a sharp knife, trim off any extra skin around the duck breasts. The skin should just cover the meat, not overhang at all. Also, slice a few slits into the skin with your knife, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper and place them, skin side down, in a dry, cold, large skillet.  Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for about 5 minutes. Starting the breasts in a cold pan will help the fat render out of the skin. Put your glaze together and reserve. After five minutes, the skin should be starting to brown and the fat should be rendering out nicely. If it isn't browning, turn up the heat a bit.  If the skin is browned, flip the breasts so they sear on the bottom side. Cook for about 2 minutes, then flip back over to the skin side.  Add breasts to a 400°F oven and bake for 4 minutes, skin side down. If your pan is oven safe, you can move it right to the oven, otherwise transfer your duck breasts to an oven-safe dish.  Remove breasts from oven, flip them (skin side up now), and baste them with maple glaze.  Let breasts rest for 5 minutes. Slice duck thickly (1 breast should be 4-5 slices) and serve immediately.

It's time to start feeding your body's best friends: the organisms in your gut.Your microbiome is composed of all of the organisms that live in and on your body. The gut has the greatest concentration of organisms. We are ten times more bacteria than human. It’s time to start eating for those microbes instead of for yourself. The most toxic thing you do every day is to consume food. High-calorie and high-fat foods are unkind to your microbiome. Spore-based probiotics appear to be the most helpful to your gut. Listen as Kiran Krishnan joins Dr. Mike Fenster to talk about breakthroughs in understanding the gut microbiome.

Wheat has been part of the human diet for millions of years. Why are people now having problems with it?Scientifically, we’re built to process wheat. Gluten was found in the teeth of human skeletons from 3 million years ago. A handful of wheat berries could fill up a person for a day. Humans only started eating meat 500,000 years ago.So, why are so many people having trouble eating wheat now?If you can’t digest wheat today but you didn’t have problems with it in the past, your body is actually having a hard time detoxifying itself. All of our food sources are polluted.Is wheat really the problem? Other grains like khorasan wheat have greater gluten content than modern wheat. But, studies have shown that this wheat variety results in a greater reduction in inflammation, as well as other positive health benefits. The average Roman soldier received rations of several pounds of bread per day. The average person in 1900 consumed 86 more pounds of wheat per year than in 2008. The gluten levels in bread have been relatively stable during this time.Yet, consuming wheat makes some folks feel yucky. Doctors suggest they stop eating wheat. These patients feel good for a spell but return feeling bad again. More foods might be eliminated from one's diet. The digestive system feels better for a bit but the issue returns. This approach only addresses the symptoms, not the cause.The fiber found in whole grains helps the health of your gut microbiome. The trick is to navigate around the processed foods of the modern diet, which have weakened our digestive system. Eliminate processed foods from your diet. Unprocessed wheat and dairy in your body can congest the lymph nodes in your brain. You get a brain fog, feel tired and have difficulty moving energy through your body. Listen in as Dr. John Douillard shares how wheat itself is not the culprit in many cases.

Sponsor:

Real Salt

What foods are best for sexy times?Medications that assist with sexual function have become available over the past few decades. Before you reach for that sex pill, be sure you’ve discussed the side effects in depth with your doctor. You wouldn’t want any undesirable effects to negatively impact your libido.Also, consider some natural ways to boost your drive. The pomegranate is viewed as a fertility symbol. It increases circulation and improves blood pressure. It can also increase testosterone in men and women. Garlic improves blood flow as well. The pungent scent of garlic may not turn your lover on, so just be sure to freshen your breath. You can also add parsley to the recipe to cut down on the odor. Chocolate can improve your get-up-and-go, because it contains a chemical that gives you a feeling of being in love, decreasing your blood pressure. Stick to dark chocolate containing 70% cocoa. Spinach is great for hormone health. Follow Popeye’s example. Listen as Jonathan Block of MedShadow joins Dr. Mike Fenster to discuss natural ways to kick up your libido.

Sponsor:

Real Salt - Is Your Salt Real?

Do you reach for sugar for pleasure? Or, is that "sweet tooth" an addiction?You shouldn’t have to cut out everything that gives you pleasure. Who doesn’t want to have their cake and eat it too?The trick is navigating sweets in a healthy way. First, you have to learn how to translate the sugar content on food labels. Divide grams of sugar by four. That tells you how many spoons of sugar are in one serving of the food. Make the decision to put it back if it isn’t worth it for you. Consuming whole fruits instead of juices is a great way to enjoy something sweet but with a lower sugar price tag. Second, understand that 140 pounds of sugar per person are being added to processed foods in America every year. Processed foods contribute to many chronic health conditions. Mind your health. If you feel well, you should be able to consume sugar in moderation. Sugar Addiction If you have to ask yourself if you’re addicted to sugar, you probably are. Are you compelled to eat sugar, or do you just have some from time to time for pleasure? Take two weeks off from sugar and see how you feel. You should be able to have two bites of dessert to satisfy your taste buds. Share the rest of the dessert or walk away from it. Being mindful while eating sugar allows you to taste and enjoy. Be present with your food. Listen as Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum joins Dr. Mike Fenster to discuss sugar consumption and addiction.

Sponsor:

Real Salt - Is Your Salt Real?

Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest savory recipe.In this segment, Chef Luca Paris joins Dr. Mike to discuss his latest creation for Culinary CPR: Bucatini Pasta Con Funghi e Crema. Ingredients

1 lb bucatini pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound assorted wild mushrooms, stems trimmed, wiped clean, and thinly sliced

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup finely grated parmesan

2 tablespoons finely chopped chives

DirectionsIn a deep heavy casserole, heat oil until shimmering. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and return to the pot. Cover to keep warm.In a large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring, until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add sherry wine to deglaze and let evaporate for a minute. Add the cream, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the parmesan and adjust the seasoning, to taste. Add the pasta, stir to coat with the sauce, and cook until the pasta is heated through, 1 minute. Remove from the heat and divide among 4 serving bowls or plates.Sprinkle each serving with chives & more cheese if needed and serve immediately.

Sponsor:

Real Salt - Is Your Salt Real?