By: Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Having a hard time sleeping can be frustrating because not only does it leave you tired and cranky when you don’t sleep deeply, but it harms your hormones too, which can leave you not only low on energy, but also susceptible to weight gain too through metabolic disruption.

So that’s why I wanted to share a really simple tip today that I’ve personally used to sleep better, and I have the studies to prove it works…

So as you can tell from the title of this blog post, this nighttime ritual involves using BAKING SODA before bed…

Here’s why…

In a 2018 study in the International Urogynecology Journal, participants were given baking soda orally before bed, and the study found:

– Less frequent waking to urinate
– Smoother cortisol rhythm
– Deeper and longer sleep

Other studies have found these kinds of results too with baking soda.

Adding about 1 tsp of baking soda in a small glass of water before bed can help you sleep deeper by lowering cortisol, and reducing inflammation and acid in the body.

If you take any other sort of magnesium drink before bed or other sleepytime tea (or any sleep drink), you can also add 1 tsp of baking soda to your pre-bedtime drink.

Also try adding Baking soda (and epsom salts) to a bath to sleep deeper…

Another way to lower cortisol at night is to add 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda to a hot bath (perhaps with epsom salts too since magnesium can also absorb through your skin).

A hot bath with baking soda and epsom salt are best done about 45-60 minutes before bed to allow your body time to cool again and get sleepy.

This baking soda and epsom salt bath ritual before bed is another proven way to reduce stress hormones in your body and promote a deeper night of sleep with quicker time to fall asleep.

Here’s another sleep tip for you…

You don’t want to miss this powerful tip below involving a cherry trick for sleeping deeper…

Why 3 AM Wake-ups Pack on Belly Fat

Sarah, 52, was trapped in a nightly nightmare:

Every night around 3 AM, her eyes would POP open…

Did I pay the electric bill?
What if mom’s test results are bad?
Are we saving enough for retirement?
Why did I snap at my daughter today?

Her mind would RACE for hours.

She’d stare at the ceiling, exhausted but wired, watching the clock tick toward 5 AM… 6 AM…

Then she’d drag herself through another zombie day.

Desperate and gaining weight fast, she finally went to her doctor…

“Every 3 AM wake-up is spiking your cortisol… Every cortisol spike is packing fat onto your belly.

No wonder you’re gaining weight at such a fast pace! Your broken sleep is destroying your body.” her doctor told her.

Then he recommended her a 30-second cherry trick that stopped the racing thoughts and repaired her broken sleep.

Results:

• Week 2: Sarah was sleeping through the night waking up refreshed
• Month 6: Sarah sleeps like a baby every night, she’s down 24 lbs, has a sharp mind and endless energy

>> Get The 30-Second Cherry Trick That Stops 3 AM Wake-ups and Racing Thoughts (works tonight!)

Sweet dreams!

The post 1 tsp Baking Soda At Bedtime For Fewer Wake-ups, Longer Sleep & Lower Cortisol appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Gut problems are one of the biggest issues that most people face in today’s world… Whether it’s constipation, diarrhea, leaky gut, reflux, IBS and IBD, bloating, SIBO, or microbiome imbalances…

Almost everyone these days has at least one or two of these gut problems, which can also trigger weight gain, brain fog, autoimmune conditions, and much more.

The lesson is… getting your gut health in order can improve almost all other aspects of your health. So for today, I just have a quick little “gut reset” you can try that I’ve seen work wonders for hundreds of my friends, family, and clients…

I call it the Kefir and Bone Broth Gut Reset…

It’s super simple to do, and almost everyone I know that’s tried it reports their gut feeling the best it’s felt in years after doing just a few days of this.

I’m talking about the disappearance of bloating, reflux going away, normalizing of the bowels, and relief from IBS/IBD, as well as generally losing anywhere from 3 to 6 lbs in just a few days as well.

If you want to try this gut reset, all you have to do is drink nothing but kefir and bone broth for 3-4 days… or if you don’t want to do 3-4 days in a row, you can also try 1-2 days a week for a month (so 4 to 8 days out of the month)…

No food for these 3-4 days of this gut reset… just the calories and gut-healing nutrients you get from bone broth and kefir.

As for quantity, there’s no magic quantity, but I generally tell people to simply drink a mug of hot bone broth several times a day, and a cup of kefir several times a day too. Whenever you feel hungry, just sip on either of these throughout the day and your hunger and cravings will usually go away.

There’s no exact timing needed… by the end of the day, you could have ended up drinking 3-4 cups of bone broth and perhaps 3-4 cups of kefir as well. And that’s it.  If you still want to start the day with coffee, go for it.  That shouldn’t take away from your results with this gut reset.

For the bone broth, either make your own bone broth from chicken, turkey, and/or beef bones, or find a good bone broth either online or at your local store.

Bone broth has strong gut healing properties to it from the high natural collagen content and other gut healing nutrients it contains.

For the kefir, I’d recommend just getting a full-fat plain kefir (grass-fed is preferable) and if you like it a bit sweetened, feel free to add a bit of monk fruit, stevia, or real maple syrup to it to sweeten it up to your liking.  I personally prefer to add real maple syrup to my plain kefir, because real maple syrup contains beneficial minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients.

You can also try a flavored sweetened kefir such as Lifeway’s strawberry or another flavor.  It has a few more grams of sugar, but I wouldn’t worry about it because these gut reset days where you’re consuming nothing but bone broth and kefir are pretty low calorie anyway.

The kefir is loaded with gut-healing probiotics, and is super easy to digest because the lactose has been fermented out by the healthy microbes, and even the dairy protein has been “pre-digested” by the microbes too. Most people that think they have dairy intolerances actually do fine with a high quality kefir (if you have issues digesting dairy, just start slow with kefir to make sure you’re good with it)…

And drinking nothing but kefir and bone broth for 3-4 days gives your gut a break from antinutrients and irritating compounds in other foods like beans, grains and veggies and allows your gut to “heal and seal”.  As you know, I’ve talked a lot in this newsletter about the gut irritating antinutrients that can be in certain types of leafy and stem based veggies and also beans and legumes too.

Most people that do this for 3-4 days report feeling incredible, usually with full resolution of bloating and other gut issues, and generally even lose 5-6 lbs or more in just a few days as well.

As you re-incorporate whole foods after the 3-4 day bone broth and kefir gut reset, just be careful with foods that may have been triggering your gut all along, such as beans, grains, and certain types of veggies.

Meat, eggs, and fruit on the other hand are generally well tolerated by most people and easier on the gut than beans, grains and veggies.

Just repeat this 3-4 day bone broth and kefir gut reset every few months when you feel like your gut needs it or you if you want to easily drop a few lbs before an event or a trip.

If you want to heal your gut completely, get rid of bloating, and drop fat with a bit more ease, don’t miss this warning by our colleague Dr Gundry…

Broccoli vs Spinach vs Green Beans… (the #1 WORST veggie for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one veggie people over 50 should never eat.

This veggie can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the veggie I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Green Beans

>> Broccoli

>> Spinach

>> Cauliflower

The post 3-Day Bone broth & Kefir “gut reset” heals gut, bowels, IBS (plus 5 lbs dropped) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

By: Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

As a Nutritionist, I get asked about potatoes often! People love their potatoes, but they typically feel a little guilty thinking that potatoes might be bad for you.

Some people think that potatoes might be bad for their blood sugar, while others know that deep fried potatoes soaked in inflammatory seed oils are a health disaster.

So let me explain a little more about potatoes and how to make them so they can actually improve your health!

First, I think it’s obvious at this point that french fries soaked in oxidized omega-6 seed oils are not only a calorie bomb, but are soaked in one of the most toxic oils we can put in our bodies. I won’t elaborate on that in this email since it’s well established.

However, baked or boiled potatoes with just a small amount of grass fed butter and seasonings can be a nutrient-dense vitamin and mineral packed source of healthy carbohydrates that can not only be really good for your blood sugar, but also weight loss.

In fact, there are many studies showing that potatoes are one of the most satiating foods you can eat, and can help you eat less calories overall, while fulfilling a large amount of your micronutrient needs (vitamins and minerals).

There’s even case studies where individuals ate around 6 to 9 potatoes a day and lost a significant amount of weight (they had a hard time overeating on calories because the potatoes were so filling)…

As for blood sugar, while potatoes are a healthy source of carbs, Diabetics do need to monitor their blood sugar carefully. However, keep in mind that multiple studies show that high carb and low fat diets containing about 70-80% of the calories from carbohydrates and only 10-20% of the calories from fat resulted in a dramatic improvement in insulin sensitivity and a lowering of fasting blood sugar.

I’ll elaborate more in a newsletter coming soon on why such a high carb and low fat diet can produce such dramatic results for lowering blood sugar even in type 2 Diabetics, but the results are impressive with a good portion of participants getting off Diabetes medications in as little as 3-4 weeks. (Keep in mind that a keto diet can also work well for this too, despite being the opposite of a high carb and low fat diet)

Should you PEEL your potatoes?

This is an important one, and the false assumption by Dieticians and doctors for the past few decades was that because the skins contain micronutrients we should leave the skins on.

However, in my opinion, this is a BAD IDEA…

You see, the potato skins contain the largest amounts of problematic anti-nutrients such as oxalates, glycoalkaloids (solanine), and lectins.

White potatoes are from the nightshade family of plants, and do contain significant amounts of antinutrients that can cause gut issues, autoimmune reactions, as well as the contribution of oxalates to kidney stones.

And the lectins in potato skins can contribute to gut problems like inflammation, IBS/IBD, and leaky gut.

The vast majority of harmful antinutrients are in the SKIN… so always PEEL your potatoes.

Should you BOIL your potatoes?

Boiling your potatoes after peeling dramatically lowers the antinutrients such as lectins, oxalates, and glycoalkaloids, making your potatoes much easier on your body, but still packing a ton of vitamins and minerals and healthy carbohydrates.

I personally always peel and boil my potatoes as the healthiest way to cook them, and I add a small amount of grass fed butter, salt and bone broth to them.

Now that we’ve talked about why we should peel and boil our potatoes if we want to avoid many of these health issues, let’s look below at a unique way to HEAL your gut, get rid of gas and bloating, increase energy, and lose fat more easily…

Sweet Potato vs Pasta vs Squash (the #1 WORST starch for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one starch people over 40 should never eat.

This starch can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the starch I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Sweet Potato

>> Pasta

>> Corn

>> Squash

The post Why I Always PEEL (and Boil) Potatoes for Better Health appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

While listening to my daily health podcasts and reading articles, I was fascinated recently hearing about a particular super-centenarian (someone who lives to over 110), a woman from Spain (Maria) who lived to 117…

I’ve studied centenarians and super centenarians a lot over the years, and I’ll share what I learned about her and about other super agers who make it to 100 or even well past 100.

For one, as with almost every centenarian that I’ve studied, Maria was surrounded by people she loved, and she felt valued and deeply connected even well past 100.  Having deep connections, feeling loved, and being in a community where you feel supported and feel valued are some of the most important characteristics of almost all people that are super agers.

The second most important characteristic of Maria (and almost every other centenarian I’ve studied) is that she apparently had a very positive outlook on life and very optimistic and happy.  Pessimistic and angry people tend to have more health problems than optimistic and happy people.

As for exercise, I do know that Maria was very active and played with kids and dogs, but I don’t see much about her exercise habits.  From what I know about most centenarians though, they usually do a lot of walking, gardening, and often racquet sports frequently too.  But centenarians were typically never endurance athletes like marathoners or overly-intense workout people like cross-fitters.

Overly intense and overly long endurance training usually actually increases aging and wears down the body because it’s too much stress instead of the right amount of stress.  I think some good resistance training to keep your bones and muscles strong and prevent Osteoporosis is important, and so is a lot of walking and light activity like gardening for stress reduction and heart health.

Maria also had both high LDL and high HDL… mainstream medicine considers high LDL a bad thing, but I don’t agree with that, and some studies actually show that people that live longer have higher total cholesterol and higher LDL.  This makes sense because LDL is important in the body for hormones and your immune system.  Artificially lowering LDL (without existing heart disease) doesn’t make sense and in my opinion harms your health.

Maria also never smoked and only drank alcohol on special occasions.  Although I will say that as I’ve studied centenarians over the years, I often hear that many of them actually are light drinkers, having 1-2 drinks per day at most, but never over-doing it.  One theory is that a small dose of a daily toxin like alcohol can increase your body’s natural production of internal antioxidants like glutathione to deal with that small daily dose.

Another important thing was that researchers said that Maria had a very healthy gut microbiome, and one thing about her diet really stood out…

She apparently ate yogurt 3x a day.  That’s a lot of yogurt!

Yogurt is one of the healthiest forms of dairy because of the probiotic content, and it’s also easy to digest because the fermentation of yogurt (or kefir) helps partially pre-digest some of the proteins and the fermentation usually consumes most of the lactose.

Also, the dairy fat in a high quality yogurt contains significant amounts of 2 powerful healthy fats called CLA and C15, both of which have been studied for their possible relationship to lowering heart disease risks, Diabetes risks, and possibly even cancer.

Overall Maria lived a great life, and the reason she lived to 117 seems to be a combination of great genetics combined with an amazing lifestyle, positive attitude, and high quality food.

In order to live past 100 though, we need to prevent the biggest killer… and the #1 biggest cause of death is heart disease currently.  With that in mind, don’t miss this important message…

Duke MD Says: “The #1 Food that Helps Prevent Heart Attacks is NOT Actually a Plant Food”

There are many powerful nutrients in plant foods such as polyphenols, flavanols, lycopene, and bioflavonoids in foods like citrus, berries, dark chocolate and more that help improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of heart attacks.

However, there’s actually ONE particular nutrient that is ONLY found in certain types of meat that is significantly more important for the strength of your heart than anything else.

If the levels of this one unique nutrient in your heart are LOW, your chances of heart problems skyrocket.

(Hint: it’s NOT omega-3 fats this time.)

This common deficiency doesn’t show up on standard blood work panels.

“Almost everyone forgets their heart is a muscle. And like any muscle… it needs protein-like nutrients to stay strong,” says Dr. Rick Cohen.

Dr. Cohen’s natural solution has helped thousands of people enjoy a healthy heart without living constantly on drugs.

And he has recently released a short video revealing what this uniquely powerful nutrient found in certain types of meat is, and how to get it.

Watch it here:

>> Dr Rick Cohen Reveals the #1 “Heart Strengthening” Nutrient Backed by 600+ Studies

The post 117 Year old ate this DAIRY food 3x per day (Her story of incredible longevity) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Watermelon is such a delicious juicy snack, refreshing and hydrating, and loaded with electrolytes and beneficial phytochemicals.

In fact, I personally love to start the day in the warm months of the year with fresh watermelon juice mixed with lime and occasionally carrot juice too.  It’s one of the best electrolyte drinks you can consume, PLUS it comes with some powerful heart health nutrients…

If you’ve never heard about how powerful watermelon and watermelon juice can be for improving heart health, blood flow, and reducing heart attack risks, then check this out…

Watermelon contains about 20 mg of lycopene per pound of watermelon (more than tomatoes).  Most clinical studies on lycopene show that doses of 10-30 mg have profound benefits on lowering heart disease, reducing LDL oxidation, improving artery function, and reducing prostate cancer.

The lycopene in watermelon also helps lower blood pressure and inflammation in your body.

Watermelon is also loaded with a nutrient called citrulline which is proven in studies to boost nitric oxide and improve your blood flow (yes, even down there), as well as exercise performance.

This is another reason why watermelon helps boost heart health and improve blood pressure too.

Watermelon is also shown in studies to help your kidney health, eye health, and reduce cancer risk.

Since heart disease and heart attacks are still the #1 killer, I’m personally doing everything I can to improve my heart health and live longer, and that now includes eating more delicious juicy watermelon!

But did you know that although most of the powerful nutrients that protect your heart, improve blood flow, and lower blood pressure are from unique plant foods like fruits, berries, cacao, coffee, and green tea… There’s actually a really important one from a type of MEAT that is even MORE important…

Duke MD Says: “The #1 Food that Helps Prevent Heart Attacks is NOT Actually a Plant Food”

There are many powerful nutrients in plant foods such as polyphenols, flavanols, lycopene, and bioflavonoids in foods like citrus, berries, dark chocolate and more that help improve blood flow, lower blood pressure, and reduce your risk of heart attacks.

However, there’s actually ONE particular nutrient that is ONLY found in certain types of meat that is significantly more important for the strength of your heart than anything else.

If the levels of this one unique nutrient in your heart are LOW, your chances of heart problems skyrocket.

(Hint: it’s NOT omega-3 fats this time.)

This common deficiency doesn’t show up on standard blood work panels.

“Almost everyone forgets their heart is a muscle. And like any muscle… it needs protein-like nutrients to stay strong,” says Dr. Rick Cohen.

Dr. Cohen’s natural solution has helped thousands of people enjoy a healthy heart without living constantly on drugs.

And he has recently released a short video revealing what this uniquely powerful nutrient found in certain types of meat is, and how to get it.

Watch it here:

>> Dr Rick Cohen Reveals the #1 “Heart Strengthening” Nutrient Backed by 600+ Studies 

The post Watermelon for Heart Health, Arteries, and Blood Flow appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

You’ve been told over and over in the media that foods like oatmeal and quinoa are good for you, and you should eat lots of them. But what most people don’t realize is that these two particular foods contain compounds that can actually harm your health and your digestion in many ways…

And as your favorite Nutritionist, I’ll explain why in this quick blog post, so you can avoid further harming your health and digestion with these so-called “healthy” foods…

1. Oatmeal and Oat Milk

While oatmeal is touted as a healthy carb and a source of fiber, unfortunately there are more cons than pros with this food…

The first problem with oats is that they are loaded with a compound called phytic acid (phytates) that significantly lowers your absorption of certain minerals and vitamins, such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc.

So whenever you eat oats, the phytic acid causes you to absorb less of these vitally important minerals which could cause health problems if you eat oats too frequently, since most people already don’t get enough minerals like magnesium and zinc.

The second problem with oats is that they contain one of the highest residue concentrations of the toxic herbicide glyphosate, which can damage your gut, and have been linked to other health problems like cancer, hormone issues, and more.

The next major problem with oats is that they are a significant source of mycotoxins in the diet, which are mold based toxins that can cause an array of gut problems, hormone problems and more.

Lastly, oats can also contain high levels of the toxic heavy metal Cadmium, which is linked to health problems as this toxic heavy metal accumulates in your body.

2. Quinoa

Quinoa is another food that is pitched as a health food or a “superfood”. Unfortunately, this is another example of a food that has more downsides than good sides.

First off, quinoa is high in compounds called saponins, that have been shown in some studies to cause gut damage and contribute to “leaky gut”.

Another problematic compound in quinoa are lectins, which are a type of antinutrient that can damage the cells of your intestines, and contribute to several gut disorders and immune system problems.

Many friends and colleagues of mine have reported feeling abdominal pain after eating quinoa, bloating, and loose stools or diarrhea, as well as triggering of autoimmune conditions such as skin conditions.

But oatmeal and quinoa aren’t the only so-called ‘health foods’ that can backfire… take a look at these starches that can quietly sabotage your gut… See below:

Sweet Potato vs Pasta vs Squash (the #1 WORST starch for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one starch people over 40 should never eat.

This starch can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the starch I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Sweet Potato

>> Pasta

>> Corn

>> Squash

The post Why I Stopped Eating Oatmeal, Oat Milk, and Quinoa appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

One of the questions I get most as a Nutritionist is whether rice is good for you or not, and if you should choose brown rice or white rice.

Over 90% of people get this answer wrong, and they’ve been told by misinformed dieticians and doctors that brown rice is healthier because it has more “fiber”.

However, this is harmful advice, and brown rice is NOT healthier than white rice!

Let me explain why…

Brown rice contains the hull of the rice plant, and that hull does contain some fiber, but it also contains some significant toxins such as lectins that can harm your gut lining, cause brain fog, and trigger autoimmune reactions in some people.

I’ve had dozens of my friends and clients that saw dramatically improved digestion, more energy and clarity of mind, and autoimmune skin conditions that went away once they switched from brown rice to white rice.

Brown rice also contains significant amounts of toxic arsenic since the arsenic is in the hull, and not the white starch part of the rice. This is yet another reason that white rice is a lot better choice in my opinion.

A word of warning on white rice: While white rice is mostly just starch, and therefore can be used as a great source of muscle glycogen by healthy people that exercise frequently and intensely, I would urge caution for people with Diabetes to be careful with the quantity of white rice they are consuming and monitor their blood sugar carefully.

Now that we’ve talked about why we should avoid brown rice if we want to avoid many of these health issues, let’s take a look at a fun little quiz below and a few more foods…

Sweet Potato vs Pasta vs Squash (the #1 WORST starch for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one starch people over 40 should never eat.

This starch can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones… It contains a toxin that damages the lining of your intestines, causes bloating, embarrassing gas, and a bulging belly.

Do you know the starch I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Sweet Potato

>> Pasta

>> Corn

>> Squash

The post Brown Rice vs White Rice: The Worst Rice for Your Gut and Energy (Surprise, it’s not what you think) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

If you’ve been led to believe that oat milk, peanut butter, almonds, and spinach are good for you, today’s email might shock you and is important to read, because these 4 “healthy foods” could be contributing to health problems in your body.

Let’s take a quick look at why…

1. Oat Milk

Oat milk has become a popular “plant milk” in recent years.  I see people all the time ordering “oat milk lattes” at coffee shops, and they probably have no idea how terrible that oat milk is for them.

Oat milk is basically oats soaked in water, with some added seed oils (canola oil usually), and added sugars and thickeners.

First of all, unless you get organic oat milk, your standard oat milk is contaminated with the harmful herbicide glyphosate which is known to cause serious damage to your gut, disrupting your microbiome health, and if that’s not bad enough, you probably already know that glyphosate is linked to cancer too.

Next, another reason I would never drink oat milk is because it’s usually processed with added seed oils such as canola oil, which are highly inflammatory in the body, contain large amounts of harmful omega-6 fats, and are linked to poor metabolic health such as Diabetes and obesity.

The next reason I would never drink oat milk is that it usually contains thickeners and gums such as carrageenan, which are highly irritating to your gut and can cause gut issues.

There’s also almost zero nutrition in oat milk compared to dairy milk (which contains large amounts of vitamins, minerals and protein).

Lastly, oat milk is also high in an anti-nutrient called phytic acid, which reduces your absorption of certain vitamins and minerals, potentially contributing to deficiencies in certain nutrients.

And while some people genuinely can’t digest dairy, most people would be better off nutritionally with just real grass-fed milk.

2. Peanuts, Peanut Butter

While peanut butter does contain a small amount of protein and vitamins/minerals, the cons outweigh the pros on this food.

First of all, peanuts contain one of the highest concentrations of aflatoxin, which is a mold toxin that is created in peanuts due to storage in moist conditions.

Peanut butter is also very high in inflammatory omega-6 fats and due to the processing of peanut butter, those omega 6 fats are in a harmful oxidized state.

Most people already get too much omega 6 fats from vegetable oils (soy, corn, canola, etc), and this contributes to insulin resistance, heart disease, brain inflammation, cancer, and lots more health problems, since most people are currently eating 5-10x more omega-6 fats than we should be eating in a healthy diet.

Lastly, peanut butter also contains medium amounts of oxalates, which are plant-based antinutrients that when consumed in excess can contribute to kidney stones, thyroid and gut problems, joint problems and more.

We’ll talk more about oxalates in the next food…

3. Spinach

Spinach is promoted as a healthy green, but contains FAR more downsides than good sides. Spinach is one of the highest oxalate foods that’s commonly eaten by modern humans (in addition to beet greens, beets, almonds, and other veggies and nuts).

The amount of oxalates in a serving of spinach is extremely high, up to 600 mg in a normal sized bowl.

The “safe” amount of oxalates in a daily diet according to world renowned oxalate expert Sally Norton should be between 100-200 mg per day total to avoid a lot of the health problems caused by high oxalate plants.

So you can see how concerning spinach is with the extremely high oxalate levels.

As mentioned above, eating too much oxalates too frequently can cause serious issues such as kidney stones, thyroid problems, gut damage, skin issues, and joint pain.

In fact, some people have even gotten “oxalate poisoning” by eating green smoothies too often and had to go to the ER for kidney failure.

4. Almonds, Almond butter, and Almond Milk

Although almonds and almond milk are marketed as healthy, they also contain many downsides, including all of the negatives mentioned above about too much omega 6 fats and too much oxalates.

They’re probably ok in your diet occasionally, but I personally avoid eating almonds too often because of these issues with excess oxalates and omega 6 fats.

Almond milk also has some of the same issues as oat milk in that it often contains added gums and thickeners like carageenan (irritating to your gut), and is pretty pathetic in terms of nutrition content compared to dairy milk.

Now let’s take a look at a fun little quiz below and a few more foods…

Bananas vs Oranges vs Apples… (the #1 WORST fruit for your gut & energy)

According to the best-selling author and world-renowned heart surgeon, Dr. Steven Gundry, there’s one fruit people over 40 should never eat.

This fruit can damage your gut and disrupt your hormones. Both sapping you of energy and forcing your body to create “sticky” fat cells that can NOT be “burned off” with normal diet and exercise.

Do you know the fruit I’m talking about? Make sure you do by clicking the one below you think it is, and get the answer from Dr. Gundry himself on the next page:

>> Apples

>> Bananas

>> Oranges

>> Grapes

The post Why I Mostly Avoid Peanut Butter, Almonds, Oat Milk, and Spinach appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

Most people that have a hard time sleeping well or falling asleep have already tried the normal things like magnesium and melatonin.

And those certainly can help some people to sleep better.

But what if there’s something more basic with your food intake that’s preventing you from sleeping well, and the solution is actually super easy?

What I’m talking about is carbohydrates…

Most people aren’t aware of this, but if you’re not eating enough carbohydrates, this can really harm your ability to sleep deeply. Let me explain quickly…

When you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, your body still has a large need for glucose inside the body for dozens of different reasons like hormones and proper functioning of your organs, so it needs to break down protein to create more blood sugar and it does this by elevating stress hormones.

The elevation of cortisol and other stress hormones assists your body in a process called Gluconeogenesis (breaking down protein to fulfill blood sugar needs)…

So if you don’t eat enough carbohydrates, this spikes your cortisol and other stress hormones and makes it harder to sleep.

One reason why people wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall back to sleep is because they didn’t eat enough carbohydrates throughout the day, and their body is running out of easily accessible glucose, so the body spikes cortisol to create more blood sugar.

On the other hand, if you give your body MORE healthy carbs throughout the day (fruit, honey and starchy roots are my favorite carb sources), then your cortisol will stay low, and you won’t get that spike in the middle of the night waking you up.

Most people need anywhere from a minimum of 150 grams of carbs per day on the low end, up to maybe more like 300+ grams a day for more active people.

So people eating lower carb diets often just aren’t getting enough carbs, and this is why cortisol is spiking and not allowing you to sleep deeper at night.

I don’t necessarily recommend grains for your carbs (although white rice and sourdough bread are 2 of my carb sources that are easier on the body), but I prefer to get my carbs through fruit, honey, coconut water, juice, and starchy roots like potatoes and sweet potatoes.

I’ve recommended a spoonful of honey or a banana maybe 30-60 min before bed to a lot of my friends and clients suffering from sleep issues, and the majority of them tell me that they are sleeping MUCH better without waking in the middle of the night after adding more carbs to their daily diet.

With that said, you don’t want to miss this powerful tip below involving a cherry trick for sleeping deeper…

Why 3 AM Wake-ups Pack on Belly Fat

Sarah, 52, was trapped in a nightly nightmare:

Every night around 3 AM, her eyes would POP open…

Did I pay the electric bill?
What if mom’s test results are bad?
Are we saving enough for retirement?
Why did I snap at my daughter today?

Her mind would RACE for hours.

She’d stare at the ceiling, exhausted but wired, watching the clock tick toward 5 AM… 6 AM…

Then she’d drag herself through another zombie day.

Desperate and gaining weight fast, she finally went to her doctor…

“Every 3 AM wake-up is spiking your cortisol… Every cortisol spike is packing fat onto your belly.

No wonder you’re gaining weight at such a fast pace! Your broken sleep is destroying your body.” her doctor told her.

Then he recommended her a 30-second cherry trick that stopped the racing thoughts and repaired her broken sleep.

Results:

• Week 2: Sarah was sleeping through the night waking up refreshed
• Month 6: Sarah sleeps like a baby every night, she’s down 24 lbs, has a sharp mind and endless energy

Get The 30-Second Cherry Trick That Stops 3 AM Wake-ups and Racing Thoughts (works tonight!)

The post Eat these CARBS 1-hr before bed to sleep deep (and avoid 3am insomnia) appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.

by Mike Geary – Certified Nutrition Specialist and Author of The Diabetes Fix and The Truth About Testosterone

What the Microbes in Our Mouth and Pomegranate Have to do with Artery Plaque and Preventing Heart Failure

For years, we’ve been told that plaque buildup in arteries is just a natural part of aging or genetics. But what if that sticky sludge in your arteries started with what’s in your mouth?

A person’s oral health plays a bigger role in heart health than most people realize. And emerging research is showing that the pomegranate can help reverse some of the damage.

Let’s break it down:

The Oral Microbiome: More Than Just Bad Breath

Your mouth is home to over 700 species of bacteria, most of them beneficial. But others, like Streptococcus mutans and Porphyromonas gingivalis, can be major troublemakers.

These bacteria form biofilms that clings to teeth and gums. But they don’t just stay there.

When oral health is poor, these microbes can enter the bloodstream, triggering system-wide inflammation that can affect:

1. Blood vessels
2. Heart valves
3. Brain function
4. Immune response

In fact, researchers have found oral bacteria in arterial plaque, linking gum disease to atherosclerosis, heart disease, and even stroke.

What Is Arterial Plaque?

Just like dental plaque, arterial plaque is made of gunky substances that build up over time. It’s mostly:

• Oxidized LDL cholesterol
• Calcium from diet or supplements
• Dead white blood cells
• Inflammatory compounds floating around in the blood
• Pathogenic microbes from the mouth

This plaque builds up and narrows arteries, restricting blood flow, which is a recipe for heart attack or stroke.

Pomegranate—Nature’s Artery Cleanser

In a 2004 Israeli study, researchers gave patients with severe (70–90%) blockage, 1 ounce of pomegranate juice a day for one year. That’s not much.

The results?

A stunning 35% reduction in arterial plaque, while the placebo group saw a 9% worsening.

The pomegranate group also had:

• 21% drop in systolic blood pressure
• 21% drop in systolic blood pressure
• Improved blood flow

And that’s not all. Other studies have shown that pomegranate extract can reduce harmful oral bacteria, improve gum health, and lower inflammation.

The Mouth–Heart–Brain Connection

Bacteria that cause gum disease don’t just impact your heart. This bacteria has been found in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.

This mouth-body connection is gaining traction in both mainstream and functional medicine, and it’s changing how we view plaque in all its forms. Oral health = Overall health.

How to Use Pomegranate for Better Health

• Drink unsweetened pomegranate juice daily, you only need 1–2 oz
• Brush with a probiotic toothpaste or rinse to balance oral flora
• Avoid mouth washes that kill germs!
• Floss daily, yes, it matters
• Avoid sugar and refined carbs, which stick to your teeth and feed plaque-forming bacteria
• Use xylitol gum or mints, which reduce harmful microbes

Bottom Line

Oral plaque and arterial plaque are more connected than you think.
Bacteria in your mouth can fuel inflammation throughout your body.
And pomegranate may help slow or even reverse that process.

It’s a powerful reminder that a healthy smile starts with a healthy body—and vice versa

With all of this said, if you want to prevent a deadly heart attack, you NEED to see this below…

“Most Heart Attacks Start Quietly… and It’s Not Cholesterol”

The post Pomegranate: Nature’s Artery Cleanser appeared first on thenutritionwatchdog.com.