Dr. Tracy McAlvanah's Wellness Blog

You probably already know the planet is experiencing an extinction crisis; scientists estimate we’ll lose up to 50 percent of current species during the next 20 years. But did you know there’s also an extinction crisis of gut bacteria happening among civilized humans? The modern diet, which is high in processed foods, meats and sugars but pitifully low in plant fiber appears to have killed off a rich diversity of  gut bacteria  on which our health depends. The result? Inflammation and chronic disease. Low fiber kills bacteria and increases inflammation To prove the point, one study changed the diets of African Americans, who have a high risk of colon cancer, and native Africans in South Africa. They put the African Americans on a native diet high in plant fiber and the native Africans on a typical American diet high in processed foods and meats. The researchers quickly saw a decrease in colon inflammation in the Americans eating increased fiber, and an increase in colon ...

Often chronic health problems can be traced back to one thing: unstable blood sugar that comes from eating too many desserts, sweet coffee drinks, processed grains (bread, pasta, etc.), and other starchy foods. Our cultural complacency with high-carbohydrate diets has made us the most obese and chronically sick population in the world. How blood sugar becomes imbalanced We only needs about a teaspoon’s worth of sugar in the bloodstream at any one time, a level we can meet just by eating vegetables. Consistently indulging in high-carb foods -- dessert, pasta, potatoes, rice, sweet coffee drinks – requires the pancreas to secrete increasingly larger amounts of insulin to lower overly high blood sugar. These insulin surges cause  blood sugar  to drop too low and create symptoms. As a result, you crave sugar or high-carb foods to reboot your blood sugar, which starts the whole cycle all over again. Although these blood sugar highs and lows constitute a normal day for many Amer...

Recent health headlines proclaimed gluten sensitivity doesn’t exist, fueling a backlash against the gluten-free diet as a baseless fad. These stories point to a recent study questioning the relationship between  non-celiac gluten sensitivity  and digestive symptoms. Sadly, they mislead the public by glossing over major points of research and cherry-picking information to debunk gluten sensitivity. The  study  looked at how people with gluten sensitivity reacted to varying levels of gluten. Significant to the study was the elimination of  FODMAPS  (Fermentable Oligo-, Di-, and Monosaccharides, and Polyols), carbohydrates in many common foods known to exacerbate irritable bowel syndrome ( IBS ) symptoms. Foods high in FODMAPS include garlic, onion, beans, many fruits, yogurt, and more. Researchers removed FODMAPS to rule them out as a source of digestive symptoms, clearing the slate to determine whether gluten was to blame. Study’s view is too narrow The...

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, have you thought about how to express your affection for someone you love who lives with a chronic illness?  Chronic illness  is at an all-time high in the United States, with 75 percent of our health care dollars going to treat such chronic illnesses as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. Because chronic illness is invisible to others, living with the symptoms of pain, fatigue, depression, and inflammation can be very  stressful . Chocolates not a good idea for chronically ill The traditional gift of chocolate may not be the best idea; many chocolates are made in factories where they become cross-contaminated with gluten and other food allergens, and the sugar and caffeine in chocolate can exacerbate chronic health symptoms. Be wary of Valentine's Day dinner out for chronically ill In fact, it’s best to avoid gifts that involve food; many people with chronic illness have sensitivities to a variety of foods. Y...

With the cost of health care, health insurance, deductibles, and copays going through the roof, getting sick has become financially hazardous. Although we can’t fully control our fate, we can sway the odds in our favor so that we need the health care system as little as possible—more than  75 percent of health care costs  are devoted to chronic conditions, including heart disease, cancer, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boils down the sorry state of American health and the burden on our health care system into some startling statistics: Chronic diseases cause 7 in 10 deaths each year in the United States. Almost half of all adults live with at least one chronic illness, significantly limiting daily activities in some. The numbers of youth with a chronic health condition has more than tripled since the 1960s. Less than a quarter of Americans eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. More than one-th...