It is never too late to restore your health

When viral particles enter your body, you want a fast and robust immune response. 

The ability to mobilize immune cells (lymphocytes) is very dependent on adequate vitamin D in your system. In northern areas in Winter, you need to be taking at least 2000 units (50 micrograms) a day of vitamin D. 

Next, your immune cells must have good vision and sharp teeth. Vitamin A, in all forms, even as beta carotene, plus zinc and selenium are the key players here.

Iron and B-complex vitamins play an important support role too.

Let me help you shop for a great product ... 

The Alive multivitamin-multimineral products cover all these bases in one tablet . The age 50+ vitamins have real good anti-oxidant and vitamin D content:

Mens: https://www.vitacost.com/natures-way-alive-mens-50-ultra-potency-complete-multivitamin

Womens: https://www.vitacost.com/natures-way-alive-once-daily-womens-50-ultra-potency

Whether is it being ready to cope with a possible virus variant, or cope with the common cold, here is a lecture that will help you understand how your system responds to Covid and other germs. This lecture can help  people with other immune activation conditions like Crohn's, Multiple Sclerosis, Ulcerative Colitis, or Rheumatoid Arthritis too.   Click on the yellow button below.

The flu and other viral infections like Covid-19 don’t directly do you in, it is the bronchitis and pneumonia that come afterwards that are the problem. Inflammation of blood vessels can also cause harm too. You need to support the Glutathione enzyme to maximize lung cell repair capacity. Glutathione is also required for generating new immune cells – lymphocytes. 

          There are several ways to create good glutathione levels in your system.  

My first choice is taking 1 teaspoon (5 grams), once or twice a day, of the amino acid   L-glutamine. This increases the glutathione pool in the body. It is also lymphocyte fuel, and it nourishes the tissue in the gut that produce lymphocytes—G.A.L.T. Just so you know, glutamine supplementation helps people getting a bone marrow transplant grow back their immune system faster. Only one restriction: don’t take glutamine if you are pregnant. It is unstudied in this situation.

https://www.vitacost.com/kaged-muscle-glutamine-powder

The amino acid N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is the limiting amino acid in glutathione production. It was the remedy for bronchitis in the decades before antibiotics and steroids. It is regaining favor in chronic lung disease. It is used in emergency rooms, in gas form, to raise glutathione levels and rescue the liver from Tylenol poisoning. If you feel like doing a second step to support glutathione, in addition to your teaspoon of L-glutamine each day, you could take 1 NAC pill (500 mg) each day. If you do get the flu or something worse, take a second pill each day. 

https://www.vitacost.com/jarrow-formulas-n-a-c-n-acetyl-l-cysteine?ta=N+acetyl+cysteine&t=n+acetyl+cysteine

The bacteria in your gut also make some glutamine and NAC, and they travel up to your lungs through your lymphatic system. Having a good set of gut microbes, then, is also a way to support your immune system in general and lungs in particular. If you wanted to take a probiotic supplement to support this mechanism I suggest taking 1 pill a day of the probiotic Culturelle, sold at CVS pharmacies and Costco.  We know that people taking antacid drugs like Zantac and Nexium are more prone to pneumonias. The acid-lowing drugs disrupt the beneficial bacteria population in the gut. www.culturelle.com. I also find the JarroDophilusEPS25  probiotic effective for helping colonize the gut with beneficial microbes. 

If you are taking a statin medicine for cholesterol, or are over age 60, or have a heart condition, if you do get sick, then it could be useful to take Co-enzyme Q10 at 200mg a day. This can improve recovery time from pneumonias. 

1. Vitamin D modulation of innate immune responses to respiratory viral infections.  Rev Med Virol 2017 
2. The Role of zinc in antiviral activity.  Adv Nutr 2019
3. The importance of selenium to human health. Lancet 2000
4. Effects of glutamine supplementation on circulating lymphocytes after bone marrow transplantation: a pilot study.  Am J Med Sci 1998
5. Glutamine alimentation in catabolic state. J Nutr 2001
6. Multifaceted activity of N-acetyl-l-cysteine in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Expert Rev Respir Med. 2018 
7. Coenzyme q10 administration in community- acquired pneumonia in the elderly. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2014

I found that  battling insurance companies for payments was taking 2 or 3 hours for each 1 hour I spent counseling a person. The insurance company business models seems to be try to not pay whenever possible. So now I only see people on a self-pay basis. I charge $1 per minute for time spent with you. 

If you want to consult with me, we can usually do it electronically via ZOOM or FaceTime. You can still  visit my (cluttered living room ) home office in Groton too if you want. I try to solve your problems in 3 or 4 visits. If you are looking for on-going care for something that may take frequent visits over 9 to 12 months, I won't be able to help you. Go see Sophia Kamveris RD in Arlington, she's wonderful and smart. ( https://www.eatrightboston.com )

I still want to help you. As I said above, my nutrition interest continues to be in improving health at the cellular level. This means that I treat many people with chronic, lingering ailments. People I see  feel like there is a metabolic solution to their predicament, but they just haven't yet gotten the right advice.  From reversing the neuropathies caused by the nucleoside meds of early HIV treatment, to restoring muscle strength in people with MS, I have had much success with nutrient and Tong Ren therapies. 

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            The nutrition formula for vitality after 50

Part 1 of this book provides the basic info for being fierce with food. 

Part 2 gives you basic science information about aging, and how nutrients impact that physiology. 

Part 3 helps you create a detailed eating plan for yourself. 

Part 4 will make you very smart about how a number of nutrition supplements will help your body function better, and do it safely. 

Part 5 is a head to toe review of ailments that you can mend with fierce foods and smart supplements. 

Part 6 provides special details on carbohydrate processing (diabetes too) and immune function: two areas of particular importance as people age. 

Part 7 introduces you to an energy healing treatment that can make your nutrition therapies even more dynamic. 

As you think about eating well, think about assembling your daily diet in a series
of steps. 

1. Figure out proteins, and have them at all three meals: breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These are foods for structure. As we age, research is showing that we need more protein, not less.[i]

2. Plan on eating a lot of vegetables at both lunch and dinner. You need more vegetables than you think, and you likely can’t meet all your needs by having them just at supper. [ii] [iii]

3. Stock up on fruits. You want to eat them 3 to 4 times a day. Remember 7 days a week, times 3 per day … do you have 21 fruit items in your grocery cart this week? 

4. Nuts and seeds contain crucial oils that form cell membranes and brain cell structure. A good idea is to consume a handful of nuts and of seeds every day.

5. Pick starches (carbohydrates) as the remaining part of your fuel source. Select wisely; you need carbohydrates for fuel but think about portions. In aging, the hormone insulin makes over-sized servings of starches turn to fat faster.[iv] 

[i] Gaffney-Stomberg E, Insogna KL, Rodriguez NR, Kerstetter JE. Increasing dietary protein requirements in elderly people for optimal muscle and bone health. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2009;57(6):1073-9. 

[ii] Willett W. Fruits, Vegetables, and Cancer Prevention: Turmoil in the Produce Section. J Natl Cancer Inst 102(8): 510-11. 9 a day for cancer more veggies than you think

[iii] Sponheimer M, Lee-Thorp JA. Isotopic evidence for the diet of an early hominid, Australopithecus africanus. Science. 1999;283(5400):368-70.

[iv] Wolever TM, Mehling C. Long-term effect of varying the source or amount of dietary carbohydrate on postprandial plasma glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, and free fatty acid concentrations in subjects with impaired glucose tolerance. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;77(3):612-21.

There is a popular saying, “If you eat a good diet, you don’t need to take any vitamins.” It is a nice thought, but no one ever really tested its validity. In other words, “show me the data”. A number of studies now prove a significant depletion of nutrients from agricultural soils over the past 50 years, with a subsequent drop in nutrient content of both fruit and vegetables, plus chicken and beef. For example, an analysis from a composite group of 27 vegetables has shown a 24% drop in magnesium content during the period 1940 to 1991.[i] [ii]

[i] Donald R. Davis, PhD, FACN, Melvin D. Epp, PhD and Hugh D. Riordan, MD Changes in USDA Food Composition Data for 43 Garden Crops, 1950 to 1999 Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 2004. 23:(6): 669–682.

[ii] United Kingdom, Medical Research Council, Ministry of Agriculture ….
Royal Society of Chemistry;
http://www.mineralresourcesint.co.uk/pdf/mineral_deplet.pdf 

A number of conditions do seem to point to subtle nutritional deficits as a part of their development. Carotid artery stenosis, (the narrowing of the arteries in the neck that lead up to the brain), can result from modest B-vitamin deficiencies over time, according to research at the world famous Framingham Heart Study.[i] In a study watching 500,000 Europeans, higher blood levels of B vitamins and folic acid seemed to reduce the risk of lung cancer by 50%, even showing benefits in smokers.[ii] Just so you know, we get less B vitamins in our diet than our ancestors did, because we are not eating moldy bugs, grubs and mushrooms from stumps any more. Many of my patients report having more daily energy once they start the multivitamins I recommend which include a good dose of B vitamins. 

[i] Selhub J, Jacques PF, Bostom AG, D'Agostino RB, Wilson PW, Belanger AJ, O'Leary DH, Wolf PA, Schaefer EJ, Rosenberg IH. Association between plasma homocysteine concentrations and extracranial carotid-artery stenosis. N Engl J Med. 1995;332(5):286-91.

[ii] Johansson M, Relton C, Ueland PM, et al. Serum B vitamin levels and risk of lung cancer. JAMA. 2010 Jun;303(23):2377-85.

Reversing a Low HDL Number Is Also Very Important 

Away with the bad, bring in more good. Much emphasis is placed on lowering high LDL cholesterol, but a low HDL (good cholesterol) deserves attention too. HDL is emerging as an independent risk factor of heart attacks and heart disease mortality even in people 80 years old.[i] The usual lifestyle factors that promote a good HDL number are being a trim weight, being capable of cardio-fitness activity for 45 continuous minutes, and eating a good balance of carbohydrates and fats in the diet. A deficiency of the good Omega 6 fat gamma linolenic acid (GLA,) along with a deficiency in Omega 3, can cause a lower HDL. Some people with a low HDL that I see in my office are often eating lots of pasta, fruits, bagels and breads. I’ll ask them to replace some carbohydrate calories with nuts, seeds and olive oil, and their hunger levels will go down and their HDL levels will go up 4 or 5 points. 

HDL is produced in the liver, and if the liver is stressed with inadequate amounts of antioxidant materials, HDL levels will be lower.[ii] After a while on a better diet, and after taking a better antioxidant vitamin, I’ll add 1 or 2 nutrient supplements to improve HDL. First, I recommend 2 grams per day of Evening Primrose oil, for the GLA fat, to rule out essential fat deficiency. I may also add 2 grams a day of the amino acid N-acetylcysteine (NAC.) This improves Glutathione (antioxidant) levels in the liver. A rise of 8-10 points of HDL can happen thanks to the NAC pills.[iii] 

[i] Li JZ, Chen ML, Wang S, Dong J, Zeng P, Hou LW. Apparent protective effect of high density lipoprotein against coronary heart disease in the elderly. Chin Med J (Engl). 2004;117(4):511-5.

[ii] Kinscherf R, Cafaltzis K, Röder F, Hildebrandt W, Edler L, Deigner HP, Breitkreutz R, Feussner G, Kreuzer J, Werle E, Michel G, Metz J, Dröge W. Cholesterol levels linked to abnormal plasma thiol concentrations and thiol/disulfide redox status in hyperlipidemic subjects. Free Radic Biol Med. 2003;35(10):1286-92.

[iii] Franceschini G, Werba JP, Safa O, Gikalov I, Sirtori CR. Dose-related increase of HDL-cholesterol levels after N-acetylcysteine in man. Pharmacol Res. 1993;28(3):213-8.

Private Practice, Groton, MA 2011 to present

Harvard University Student-Faculty Health Service, 1990 to 2014.

Fenway Community Health Center, 1992 to 2012

Dimmock Health Center, Roxbury 1993 to

Bristol Myers Squibb Visiting Faculty 

Gliead Sciences Community support

       programs

Abbott Labs, guest lecturer 

Some Past Presentations:

Connecticut Dental Hygienists Association, Hartford CT. 2013 Continuing Ed. Lectures: Nutrition and Energy Medicine For Dental Patients. Special Focus on TMJ and Gingivitis.”

University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago. 2013  “HIV Case Studies: When Nutrition Works Better Than Drugs.”

Ryan White All Titles Conference, Washington DC 2010; "Nutrients For HIV/HCV Co-infected Patients"

Hepatitis In The Heartland: Prevention and Treatment Initiatives. 2006 Kansas City, MO; & Omaha Nebraska. "Taking Care of Liver Cells"

Massachusetts Psychological Association, 1989 "Very Low Calorie Diets 

In Treatment of Morbid Obesity".

Boston University School of Public Health:

    Framingham Hearth Study

Sargent College, Boston University

Tufts Medical School, Department of 

      Community Medicine

 Boston University School of Medicine, 

     Department of Computer Medicine 

Your club, business organization,

or support group will thank you for

arranging such an informative, fun

and useful lecture. Popular topics:

Be super-nourished. Let caveman

cuisine be your food guide: fish,

roots, leaves, nuts, and berries to

tackle diabetes, cholesterol and even

life with/after cancer. OK, so it’s

salmon, sweet potato, spinach,

strawberries and pecans for dinner.

Learn modern hunting ‘n gathering.

Ultimate Weight Control. Atkins,

South Beach, Scarsdale, What next?

The real issues: difficult metabolisms,

hybridized food, stress and fatigue.

Plus, “I know what I should eat, but

I don’t seem to do it.”

Therapy for MS & Parkinson’s.

Interferon/shots drive immune

activity, but is there fuel in the tank?

Use nutrients and Tong Ren to stop

the inflammation in nerves.

Metabolic Therapy For IBD. Gut

discomfort is miserable. Steroids and

immune suppression for Cohn’s and

Colitis are scary. Nutrients heal.

Nutrition for Adult Athletes. Bike

500 miles, run a marathon, swim in a

masters tournament. It’s fun, but at

50, recovery is slow. Eat to be fierce.

On a gluten-free diet, with glutamine and Culturelle supplements, plus weekly Tong Ren sessions, there are finally no more traces of the lymphoma a 70-year-old woman had 9 years before.

A 50 year old man with Multiple Sclerosis for over 20 years needed a cane to walk. After a few years of Tong Ren, plus nutrition therapy with Co Q10, L-carnitine, methyl B-12 and Magnesium, he's walking just fine with no cane, and is even back to rowing on the river. 

A 70 year old man with pulmonary hypertension and an enlarged heart, astounds his doctors as his heart and lung functions continue to improve 4.5 years after his diagnosis, thanks to glutamine, magnesium glycinate, Co Q10, and N-acetylcysteine, plus multiple Tong Ren sessions each week. 

Many people have a sense that better nutrition is the solution to their chronic discomfort from colitis, diabetic neuropathy, MS, COPD, rheumatoid arthritis and more. Their docotor knows only drug therapies.  They want to find expert nutrition advice. These are the people I love to help. If you are feeling stuck in a chronic disease where prescription drugs feel inadequate, come see me! Charlie