House Call With Dr. Hyman

Snacks for Endurance Athletes

“What do you recommend for food and fuel for endurance athletes?” asks Dennis in this week’s house call.

The Difference between Gluten Sensitivity and Celiac Disease

Our next question comes from Antra who asks, “What’s the difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease? And what’s your favorite gluten-free recipe?”

Acid Reflux and a High-Fat Diet

Our final question comes from Meg who writes, “I have acid reflux. How do I increase healthy fats in my diet without worsening my reflux?”

Do you have tips for endurance athletes? Are you dealing with celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity? How about acid reflux? I want to hear from you.

Share your thoughts on my Facebook page. If you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Also, do you have a question for the House Call series?

Send your videos to [email protected] or you can tweet me your questions: twitter.com/markhymanmd, and maybe next week I’ll make a house call to you!

Wishing you health & happiness,

Mark Hyman, MD

I am so excited to share my new and improved Housecall series with you. Instead of focusing on one submitted question per week, we’ll cover two to three questions submitted via video, Twitter, Facebook or Instagram!

Have you heard of the concept of food as medicine? Have you ever wondered about the Blood Type Diet or the Ketogenic Diet? These are the topics that we will cover on this week’s Housecall.

Our first question comes from Chrysanne who asks, “Is it really worth it to spend extra money on good food? Does it make a difference?”

Our next question comes from Jenna who asks, “Eating for your blood type advocates say that those with O blood type shouldn’t eat anything with coconut, but it’s so good for you. What are your thoughts on this?”

Our next question comes from Jenna who asks, “Eating for your blood type advocates say that those with O blood type shouldn’t eat anything with coconut, but it’s so good for you. What are your thoughts on this?”

Now I want to hear from you! Have you experimented with the Blood Type Diet or the Ketogenic Diet? What are your thoughts on food as medicine? Is healthy food worth the cost? Post your thoughts on my Facebook page, and if you liked this video, please share it with your friends and family on Facebook or Twitter.

And, if you have any questions, we want to hear from you! Tweet me your questions or submit them by video to [email protected], and maybe next week, I’ll make a house call to you!

Here’s the Downside of Antibiotics Your Doctor Might Not Tell You by Mark Hyman

“Dr. Hyman, I’ve recently gone gluten-free, and I’ve seen tons of replacements for traditionally gluten-laden foods,” a writer recently emailed me. “I’m a little suspicious, but are any of these choices healthy?”

We are all aware that “gluten-free” has become a major buzz term. Restaurants proudly offer options like gluten-free bread, and even mainstream supermarkets have whole aisles dedicated to the trend. Nearly everyone has jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon.

I don’t recommend this to everyone – not at least until you understand a few facts … and here’s why.

As a doctor who treats sick patients, I find that gluten often is a major cause of digestive, autoimmune, weight, mood and neurologic problems. While one would think that I would be 100% pro gluten-free, I want to be clear that there are some downsides to this trend.

The biggest problem with demonizing a food substance is caused by the food industry. In a nutshell, this industry manipulates basic foods items and turns them into “Frankenfoods.” It does this by removing naturally derived ingredients and adding in other bad stuff to make up for loss of taste, consistency, etc. Witness the past popularities of, say, low-carb or fat-free diets and the so-called healthy fake foodstuffs that manufacturers invented to replace the foods containing the maligned ingredients.

Go gluten-free, but do it correctly.

“I have been dealing with constipation for years now, and I’m so tired of it. It’s making me cranky, bloated and it’s messing with my appetite,” a social media follower recently wrote. “I feel like I’m doing everything right, but I can’t poop. Help!”

Unfortunately, I see many patients who struggle with constipation and other bathroom issues. Sometimes they are too embarrassed to admit their problem until it becomes too painful to bear.

My patients aren’t alone. Researchers find that roughly 12 to 19 percent of the US population (about 63 million people) suffer from constipation. And while constipation might be common, it’s definitely not normal and it can have disastrous consequences.

I want to hear from you. Are you currently dealing with constipation or have you overcome chronic constipation? What worked (and didn’t work) for you? Share your comments below or on my Facebook page.

And if you liked this information, please share it on your social media. Also, be sure to submit your questions to drhyman.com so we can continue to get these important issues out there to everyone in need.

I was visiting Google one day, and I walked into a lunch area and saw everyone sitting on couches and at tables, all on their computers. I asked, “is this the silent lunch room?” and was surprised when I was told no.

Far too often, I find myself on my phone or computer for most of my day – often missing the people and live events that are all around me. This is why it is important to do a complete “digital detox” – something I do at least a few times a year so that I can get back to just being.

More and more studies have been coming out showing the link between too much Internet usage and screen time and mental and mood disorders (like ADHD, anxiety, depression etc.). In a recent study, people who reported excessive Internet use also reported social anxiety disorders, loneliness, social isolation and lower quality of life. The study also showed that Internet addiction was associated with reduced immune function.

That’s right, too much Internet and screen time can actually make you sick!

PS – My Eat Fat, Get Thin Challenge is not just about detoxing from junk foods, it’s about movement, journaling, breathing and more. Make the most of your online time by joining our 2017 Challenge and work with others to create new healthy habits together. Prep day starts on January 12th! Sign up now!

“Dr. Hyman, how do I know if I’m eating enough fat?” a reader recently asked me. This is an excellent question and one of my favorite subjects because I wholeheartedly believe eating the right amount and type of fat plays a crucial role in shaping health and wellbeing.

Doctors, patients and readers are often completely confused about fat, clinging to myths and misinformation that prevents them from understanding the latest science to lose weight and achieve optimal health.

You’re familiar with many of these myths: Fat makes us fat, fat contributes to heart disease, and fat leads to obesity. Saturated fat is bad, while vegetable oils are good.

Simply put, these and other fat myths are big fat lies. Thankfully, the importance of fat is finally starting to catch on.

How do you know if your cells are getting enough vital fat? I'll be covering signals your body actually sends you when it doesn’t get enough good fat. Never ignore the signs your body is giving you.

If you’re still curious about whether you’re getting enough fat in your diet, take this quiz. If you’re not getting enough fat, or if you’re ready to kick-start your health in the new year, I highly recommend joining our Eat Fat, Get Thin January Challenge. Thousands of people all over the world have completed this program, and the results have been astonishing. If you’re tired of typical calorie-deprivation diets that don’t work, this is the program for you.

Also check out my new Eat Fat, Get Thin Cookbook, filled with luscious, delicious, healthy recipes that deliver optimal amounts of healthy fat.

Let’s spread the good news about healthy fats and permanently put outdated myths to bed!

Since the release of my book Eat Fat, Get Thin, I’ve noticed fierce debates on social media and other news sources about things like calorie counting, eating vs. avoiding fat and genetics.

When it comes to overall health and weight loss, there’s an excess of advice out there. Unfortunately, most of it is terrible, misguided, outdated and scientifically disproven.

This ubiquitously poor advice can create weight loss roadblocks and even damage your health. Here are four prevalent misguided myths that drive me nuts.

Myth #1 – All Calories are Created Equal

Myth #2 – Your Genetics Define You and Your Health

Myth #3 – You Can Out-Exercise a Bad Diet

Myth #4 – Fat Makes You Fat

I’ve created a plan to reset your body and move toward your best self that incorporates movement, supplementation and above all, food and dietary fats .

The Eat Fat, Get Thin program is a 21-day plan designed to support weight loss, maximize energy and mental clarity and kick start your health.

Thousands of people all over the world have completed this program, and the results have been astonishing. If you’re tired of typical calorie-deprivation diets that don’t work, I highly recommend joining our Eat Fat, Get Thin January challenge.

If you liked this information, please share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. And, help me continue to clear up nutrition and health confusion by submitting your questions to drhyman.com. Let’s spread real truth and inspire others!

I am so excited to share a recent interview that I did with Dr. Elizabeth Boham, my dear friend and long-time colleague here at The UltraWellness Center in Lenox, Massachusetts. She is Board Certified in Family Medicine from Albany Medical School and an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner. She also has her undergraduate degree in nutritional biochemistry from Cornell University and her graduate degree and Registered Dietitian from Columbia University.

Dr. Boham joined my team in 2007. What is so interesting about her journey is that she knows first-hand how difficult it can be to navigate through the health-care system. She was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30 and discovered Functional Medicine and the importance of evaluating all systems in the body to discover the underlying cause for dysfunction.

Here at our center, Dr. Boham and I take on some of the most difficult cases, and I am simply amazed by her dedication to creating health for her patients. She focuses on a variety of topics, including Women’s Health and Breast Cancer Prevention, insulin resistance, heart health, weight control and allergies. She also has a DVD called, Breast Wellness: Tools to Prevent and Heal from Breast Cancer, which explores the Functional Medicine approach to keeping your breasts and whole body well. Through her practice and lecturing, she has helped thousands of people achieve their goals of optimum health and wellness.

In this interview, Dr. Boham and I talk about the importance of Functional Medicine, and she shares more about her own experience dealing with breast cancer, as well as her work with patients.

For more information about working with Dr. Boham and our team at The UltraWellness Center, visit us here: www.ultrawellnesscenter.com

This is a time of year where many of us become overwhelmed.

Overwhelmed by what’s still left to accomplish and preparing for family or extra holiday centric obligations. I’m sure many of you, like me, are also thinking about what we want to accomplish next year.

My Handel coach gives me an excellent exercise each year that helps me focus, and get clear on what I want, and it never gets old. Simply put, it’s called dreaming.

You might want to schedule a 30-minute consultation to see how this tool can help you design your life to be what you always wished it would be.

Handel Group and I agree you should only take on 3 to 5 areas each year to focus on, but don’t worry when you improve one area, it always improves all the other ones, too. Everything is connected. Choosing to focus can be difficult but it’s crucial.

In 2017, I’m going to focus on my family and strengthening and building those relationships, my finances (as in getting more organized about how I manage them) and my friendships by dedicating more time to nurturing them.

Here is your guide for how to think about and write your dream.