Healthy Talk

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:I’ve been taking 100 mg of CoQ-10 enzyme for cell energy for many years. In the past six weeks, I’ve started taking AMPK activator as well. Lately I’ve had trouble sleeping more than four or five hours a night. I have lots of energy. I’m 72 and have a 70% raw food diet that I alternate with a paleo-ish diet two to four times per day. I've rarely had sugar for the past two years. I avoid most bread and eat grains and nuts. Is the high energy-low sleep because of the CoQ-10 and AMPK supplements?AMPK activator contains ynostemma pentaphyllum and rose hip extract. Those have been shown to activate an enzyme in your cells called AMPK. When AMPK is activated in your cells, they manage energy better. You tend to make more ATP (coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells), burn more fat,and  burn more sugars. The cell becomes cleaner and functions at a higher level. When people first start taking CoQ-10, they may feel energized and have some sleepless nights because their blood level of CoQ-10 was so low and it's being recharged. Your body will reach a steady state with a supplement and there will not be peaks and valleys. The energy you might get early from CoQ-10 is gone, but the supplement is still good for you. You should be at a steady state with it if you take it on a consistent basis. The addition of the AMPK activator could be the culprit. It creates cell energy, which the CoQ-10 was already doing. You may reach a steady state with the AMPK activator in another week. If nothing changes after a week, try dosing every other day or every third day. If that doesn’t help, stop the AMPK activator and just use the CoQ-10.My question is about plaque in the blood. As we try to eat healthy and supplement to clean our blood, is there a chance that a dissolved or dislodged piece of plaque might float around and cause blockage down the line?Eating better, getting more exercise, taking supplements targeted to the cardiovascular system and supplements targeted to the plaque itself (pycnogenol made from pine bark extract, pomegranate, vitamin K2, gotu kola, EDTA, resveratrol) can help with plaque burden. Nothing totally gets rid of plaque. It's more about stabilizing the plaque. You can decrease plaque burden by doing the right things. The body puts a fibrous cap on the plaque, shrinking the plaque and decreasing the plaque burden. You’ve stabilized the plaque and it is less prone to rupture. Your body knows how to take care of the plaque. The contents of the plaque (fat, cholesterol, immune cells) can be absorbed by the arterial wall itself or just leave as you stabilize the plaque. Vitamin K2 can help the cap become stronger and keeps calcium out of the way. Focus on stabilizing the plaque to prevent cardio events in the future.If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: I’ve been taking 100 mg of CoQ-10 enzyme for cell energy for many years. In the past six weeks, I’ve started taking AMPK activator as well. Lately I’ve had trouble sleeping more than four or five hours a night. I have lots of energy. I’m 72 and have a 70% raw food diet that I alternate with a paleo-ish diet two to four times per day. I've rarely had sugar for the past two years. I avoid most bread and eat grains and nuts. Is the high energy-low sleep because of the CoQ-10 and AMPK supplements? AMPK activator contains ynostemma pentaphyllum and rose hip extract. Those have been shown to activate an enzyme in your cells called AMPK. When AMPK is activated in your cells, they manage energy better. You tend to make more ATP (coenzyme used as an energy carrier in the cells), burn more fat,and  burn more sugars. The cell becomes cleaner and functions at a higher level. When people first start taking CoQ-10, they may feel energized and have some sleepless nights because their blood level of CoQ-10 was so low and it's being recharged. Your body will reach a steady state with a supplement and there will not be peaks and valleys. The energy you might get early from CoQ-10 is gone, but the supplement is still good for you. You should be at a steady state with it if you take it on a consistent basis. The addition of the AMPK activator could be the culprit. It creates cell energy, which the CoQ-10 was already doing. You may reach a steady state with the AMPK activator in another week. If nothing changes after a week, try dosing every other day or every third day. If that doesn’t help, stop the AMPK activator and just use the CoQ-10. My question is about plaque in the blood. As we try to eat healthy and supplement to clean our blood, is there a chance that a dissolved or dislodged piece of plaque might float around and cause blockage down the line? Eating better, getting more exercise, taking supplements targeted to the cardiovascular system and supplements targeted to the plaque itself (pycnogenol made from pine bark extract, pomegranate, vitamin K2, gotu kola, EDTA, resveratrol) can help with plaque burden. Nothing totally gets rid of plaque. It's more about stabilizing the plaque. You can decrease plaque burden by doing the right things. The body puts a fibrous cap on the plaque, shrinking the plaque and decreasing the plaque burden. You’ve stabilized the plaque and it is less prone to rupture. Your body knows how to take care of the plaque. The contents of the plaque (fat, cholesterol, immune cells) can be absorbed by the arterial wall itself or just leave as you stabilize the plaque. Vitamin K2 can help the cap become stronger and keeps calcium out of the way. Focus on stabilizing the plaque to prevent cardio events in the future. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:I eat more whole foods than processed foods and I try to remain very healthy. I've been drinking a few ounces of kefir every day on an empty stomach. I've been reading great things about it-- including healing, preventative, and wellness benefits. I purchase it from a local store and he uses organic whole milk to make it. How much is recommended daily? Is it actually "liquid gold" as some say?Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food. The main reason people use it is for the probiotics made from cultured whole milk. Yogurt isn't bad, but it's overly processed in this country and doesn't have a lot of healthy, viable, living, good bacteria. Kefir is basically a fermented probiotic product for replenishing healthy gut bacteria. Kefir has a high number of good bacteria and a high number of strains. With any probiotic, you want to be sure it has at least six or seven common bacteria strains (phytobacteria, lactobacilli, and others). It's a strong drink so most healthcare practitioners will tell you to start with two to three ounces a day and work up to a cup a day. It's good for you, but it's not liquid gold. Skin, immune, brain, mood, heart -- they all benefit from healthy probiotics. But, it has to be done in the context of a healthier lifestyle. One probiotic product is not liquid gold.What are your thoughts on telemedicine?Doctors love telemedicine because they don't have to do a physical exam and can be connected to the patient from any computer. It's great for many common conditions like cold and flu that general doctors address. There is risk, however, because nothing is better than talking to a person face to face and doing a good physical exam.If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: I eat more whole foods than processed foods and I try to remain very healthy. I've been drinking a few ounces of kefir every day on an empty stomach. I've been reading great things about it-- including healing, preventative, and wellness benefits. I purchase it from a local store and he uses organic whole milk to make it. How much is recommended daily? Is it actually "liquid gold" as some say? Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food. The main reason people use it is for the probiotics made from cultured whole milk. Yogurt isn't bad, but it's overly processed in this country and doesn't have a lot of healthy, viable, living, good bacteria. Kefir is basically a fermented probiotic product for replenishing healthy gut bacteria. Kefir has a high number of good bacteria and a high number of strains. With any probiotic, you want to be sure it has at least six or seven common bacteria strains (phytobacteria, lactobacilli, and others). It's a strong drink so most healthcare practitioners will tell you to start with two to three ounces a day and work up to a cup a day. It's good for you, but it's not liquid gold. Skin, immune, brain, mood, heart -- they all benefit from healthy probiotics. But, it has to be done in the context of a healthier lifestyle. One probiotic product is not liquid gold. What are your thoughts on telemedicine? Doctors love telemedicine because they don't have to do a physical exam and can be connected to the patient from any computer. It's great for many common conditions like cold and flu that general doctors address. There is risk, however, because nothing is better than talking to a person face to face and doing a good physical exam. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Can vitamin D and omega-3s lift your spirits?An estimated 44 million American adults are suffering from mental illness.Omega-3s and vitamin D have been previously suggested to help treat mental illnesses. New research has determined the role each plays in increasing serotonin.Listen in as Kathy Gruver, PhD, joins Dr. Mike to discuss what each supplement can do to boost serotonin levels.

Can vitamin D and omega-3s lift your spirits?An estimated 44 million American adults are suffering from mental illness. Omega-3s and vitamin D have been previously suggested to help treat mental illnesses. New research has determined the role each plays in increasing serotonin. Listen in as Kathy Gruver, PhD, joins Dr. Mike to discuss what each supplement can do to boost serotonin levels.

How can hypnosis help you?Hypnosis is a natural state for human beings. We've all had the experience of driving and suddenly realize we passed our exit and have no idea where we are. Or, you're reading a book and realize you've turned three or four pages but haven't actually read anything. Those are both examples of moments of hypnosis. How can this natural state be employed to help people? Who can be hypnotized? How does it work? What conditions can it help treat? Dr. Kathy Gruver, alternative medicine practitioner, joins Dr. Mike to discuss hypnosis, some common misconceptions and fears, and how to find a skilled hypnotist near you.

How can hypnosis help you?Hypnosis is a natural state for human beings. We've all had the experience of driving and suddenly realize we passed our exit and have no idea where we are. Or, you're reading a book and realize you've turned three or four pages but haven't actually read anything. Those are both examples of moments of hypnosis.How can this natural state be employed to help people? Who can be hypnotized? How does it work? What conditions can it help treat?Dr. Kathy Gruver, alternative medicine practitioner, joins Dr. Mike to discuss hypnosis, some common misconceptions and fears, and how to find a skilled hypnotist near you.

Not in the mood? An extract from the herb fenugreek may help.Fenugreek extract has been used to treat many ailments, including female reproductive issues and digestive issues. Recent studies show that it may assist in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels. Fenugreek extract has also supported the male libido, and clinical trials have shown success in boosting female sexual desire as well. How can this supplement boost your desire? Listen in as Dr. Mike discusses all the benefits of fenugreek extract on female sex drive.

Not in the mood? An extract from the herb fenugreek may help.Fenugreek extract has been used to treat many ailments, including female reproductive issues and digestive issues. Recent studies show that it may assist in lowering cholesterol and blood sugar levels.Fenugreek extract has also supported the male libido, and clinical trials have shown success in boosting female sexual desire as well.How can this supplement boost your desire?Listen in as Dr. Mike discusses all the benefits of fenugreek extract on female sex drive.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: For the past 10 years I've had tremors and it's getting worse. The tremors only happen when I'm signing my name. When I move around, they are okay, and when I'm at rest they are okay. My father also developed tremors at the young age of 60. He died at 97 without being diagnosed with Parkinson's. Unfortunately, nobody knows what causes an essential tremor. They usually begin around age 40, starting on one side of the body and progressing to both sides of the body. Dr. Mike suggests doing a high dose of vitamin B12 and vitamin C shots. He also suggests phosphatidylserine. Do you recommend fecal transplantation for a cure of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth? Is this procedure safe? Fecal transplantation has some science and validity to it, so it's not as crazy as it sounds. However, Dr, Mike is always cautious when using the word "cure." With that being said, it may help. You should find a doctor to look into it with you. There was just a new study that looked at the possibility of Alzheimer's disease being a fungal disease. What's your take on this? What causes Alzheimer's in multifactoral. The amyloid plaques that form in your brain if you have Alzheimer's is not the cause, it is the result and the symptom. This idea that Alzheimer's could be fungal or bacterial is not a crazy idea, and there needs to be more research on this. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:For the past 10 years I've had tremors and it's getting worse. The tremors only happen when I'm signing my name. When I move around, they are okay, and when I'm at rest they are okay. My father also developed tremors at the young age of 60. He died at 97 without being diagnosed with Parkinson's.Unfortunately, nobody knows what causes an essential tremor. They usually begin around age 40, starting on one side of the body and progressing to both sides of the body.Dr. Mike suggests doing a high dose of vitamin B12 and vitamin C shots. He also suggests phosphatidylserine.Do you recommend fecal transplantation for a cure of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth? Is this procedure safe?Fecal transplantation has some science and validity to it, so it's not as crazy as it sounds. However, Dr, Mike is always cautious when using the word "cure." With that being said, it may help. You should find a doctor to look into it with you.There was just a new study that looked at the possibility of Alzheimer's disease being a fungal disease. What's your take on this?What causes Alzheimer's in multifactoral. The amyloid plaques that form in your brain if you have Alzheimer's is not the cause, it is the result and the symptom.This idea that Alzheimer's could be fungal or bacterial is not a crazy idea, and there needs to be more research on this.If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans.Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know:Several authors have talked about the amount of lipid peroxidation from cooking eggs. Dr. Mercola only eats raw eggs (I'm not a big fan of raw eggs). The theory is the more you cook egg yolk, the more fat oxidation occurs, which can lead to increased oxidized LDL (bad) cholesterol. What's your opinion?First of all, Dr. Mike doesn't suggest eating raw eggs, especially if you don't know the source of the eggs. Eggs are very good for you; they are a great source of protein and packed with B vitamins. However, how you cook particular foods can influence the nutrient levels. In the case of eggs, Dr. Mike hasn't seen anything that's shown that hard boiling an egg or frying an egg is causing any significant amount of fat oxidation.LDL oxidation is something you want to prevent while cooking. However, dietary sources of cholesterol aren't really the issue.If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

Listen in as Dr. Mike provides the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions.Here you'll find the answers to a wealth of health and wellness questions posed by Healthy Talk fans. Listen in because what you know helps ensure healthy choices you can live with. Today on Healthy Talk, you wanted to know: Several authors have talked about the amount of lipid peroxidation from cooking eggs. Dr. Mercola only eats raw eggs (I'm not a big fan of raw eggs). The theory is the more you cook egg yolk, the more fat oxidation occurs, which can lead to increased oxidized LDL (bad) cholesterol. What's your opinion? First of all, Dr. Mike doesn't suggest eating raw eggs, especially if you don't know the source of the eggs. Eggs are very good for you; they are a great source of protein and packed with B vitamins. However, how you cook particular foods can influence the nutrient levels. In the case of eggs, Dr. Mike hasn't seen anything that's shown that hard boiling an egg or frying an egg is causing any significant amount of fat oxidation. LDL oxidation is something you want to prevent while cooking. However, dietary sources of cholesterol aren't really the issue. If you have a health question or concern, Dr. Mike encourages you to write him at askdrmikesmith@radiomd.com or call in, toll-free, to the LIVE radio show (1.844.305.7800) so he can provide you with support and helpful advice.

How are prebiotics different from probiotics?Prebiotics are probiotic "accomplices" that are made up of non-digestible fiber compounds. Prebiotics help promote activity within your gut bacteria.And, new research suggests that prebiotics may help ease anxiety symptoms.Listen in as Dr. Mike discusses prebiotics and how they can relieve your anxiety.