House Call With Dr. Hyman

On this week's House Call: Why Am I So Stuffy? “I’ve always been congested,” starts this week’s first House Call question. “My digestion is great, but my nose is always stuffy. I have two dogs, so I’m thinking that might be the culprit, but I think it might be allergies.” Battling Headaches Our next reader writes, “I am battling these horrible headaches for the past 3 years now and they never go away. Help! What can I do?” If I Can’t Use Sugar, Can I Use Honey? The final question in this week’s House Call is, “If you have leaky gut syndrome, can you use honey in tea and coffee, instead of sugar?” Now I want to hear from you. Do you suffer from nasal problems? How about headaches? What are your thoughts on honey? Do you use it? Or do you avoid sugars? Leave your comments on my Facebook page. And if you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Also, Tweet me your questions, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this week's House Call: Getting Rid of Acne Once and For All The dreaded acne. It affects more than 85 percent of teenagers. But did you know that this skin condition has increased among adults? In fact, some eight million people visit the dermatologist every year for issues with their skin. We spend over a billion dollars for prescriptions and over-the-counter (OTC) products to cure acne, yet at best, these are short-term solutions. Our first question of the week comes from Michael, a reader who has tried pretty much everything to get rid of his stubborn acne. Eating Well When You’re a Busy Student Our next question comes from a PhD student named Gretchen, who asks, “Do you have any cooking or meal prep advice for those of us who are PhD or med students?” 5 minutes for breakfast; 10 minutes for lunch; and 15 minutes for dinner. Yes, I made this happen when I was in med school, and you can too. I had to learn to cook quickly for myself while on a budget, and it took a little bit of practice, but it paid off. Gaining Weight on a Low-Carb Diet Most of the time we hear about individuals who can’t seem to lose weight, but sometimes I’ll get patients who can’t seem to gain weight, especially when they transition to a low-carb diet. This is the subject of our next question which comes from Jennifer who tweeted, “Can you give advice on how to gain weight on a Paleo diet?” Well, the truth is, when you cut out starch and sugar, you’re not activating the insulin hormones which could mean you might have a tough time gaining weight. Now I want to hear from you. Are you dealing with acne? Do you have tips for feeding yourself when you’re out of time? What about gaining weight? What has worked for you and what hasn’t? Comment on my Facebook page. If you liked this video be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, and, submit your questions to drhyman.com, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

Gut health has become a prominent focus in Functional Medicine. Having too many bad bugs and not enough good bugs has been linked to numerous diseases and challenges such as obesity, diabetes, allergies, autoimmune diseases, eczema, cancer, heart disease and even autism. The connection between gut imbalances and chronic disease is growing stronger every day. Today, we are talking about two challenges that involve deep gut healing: heartburn/acid reflux and candida. Steps for Dealing with Heartburn Our first question comes from Laurie who called in. “I’ve got 24-hour-a-day heartburn,” she says, “should I continue the Eat Fat, Get Thin Plan or not? Is heartburn too much acid or too little acid?” Getting Rid of Stubborn Candida Our next question comes from Jacqueline who writes, “Coming across huge #’s of people like myself suffering with chronic systemic candida. All these people have done rounds of botanicals, prescription anti-fungals, only to have it return. Any advice?” Now I want to hear from you. Are you dealing with heartburn or candida? What steps are you taking? Comment 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 our House Call series? Send me a tweet @markhymanmd and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this weeks House Call: Fructose vs. Glucose Our first question comes from Sue. “I have found that there is a difference in my body and in my brain between how fructose and glucose are metabolized and their addictive components. Can you talk about the differences between these two sugars?” Preventing and Treating the Flu Our next question comes from Julie who asks, “What’s your natural prescription for preventing the flu and how do you make symptoms easier once it’s contracted?” To Soy or Not to Soy? Our next question comes from Instagram. A reader asks, “To soy or not to soy? So many conflicting theories out there. I’m a post menopausal woman with rheumatoid arthritis and probably some thyroid/leaky gut issues.” Now I want to hear from you. What are your thoughts on fructose vs. glucose? Do you have experience with treating the flu naturally? How about soy? Do you eat it? Comment on my Facebook page. If you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Also, submit your questions to drhyman.com, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you! Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this weeks House Call: Prebiotics & Probiotics Scott, a 10-Day Detox participant wants to know, what are the best prebiotics and probiotics to take and how to keep his gut healthy. Wine: Should We Drink It? Our next question comes from Barbie who asks, “Can you explain how damaging a glass or two of wine is with dinner every night?” Now I want to hear from you. What are your favorite prebiotics and probiotics? What are your thoughts on enjoying wine every night? Comment on my Facebook page, and if you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. Also, send your video submissions to support@drhyman.com, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you! Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

I get in my own way. Chances are, unless you are an enlightened master, you also have blind spots, areas of your life that just don’t work—relationships, work situations, your health, finances, your family, etc. How do you deal with them? If you are like me, you can spot them most of the time but not always! And you find yourself stuck in the same situation over and over again, creating upset and unhappiness. It could be your way of thinking that gets you into trouble, or past traumas and stress, or childhood patterns. Whatever it is, you have two choices. Live with it and continue to be unhappy or take a good serious look at yourself in the mirror and affect some change. You might think you are too old to find love or not smart enough to land your dream job. Or maybe you think you don’t have enough willpower to get healthy. Does any of this sound familiar? We all go through it. Lauren is a spiritual, emotional, transformational human who sees how people are wired and how their minds get in their own way. She’s the founder of Handel Group Life Coaching and she’s coached thousands of people including actors, musicians, artists and she’s lectured at MIT and Stanford and just wrote a book that puts 20 years of coaching into practical steps that anyone can follow today. It’s called Maybe It’s You: Cut the Crap. Face Your Fears. Love Your Life. If you want to get to the root of why your life doesn’t rock, or where you feel stuck, or where you are not telling the truth (to yourself or others), then this book is your roadmap to happiness. More importantly, it’s your road map to your own mind, heart and soul. Everyone has a dream, regardless of their circumstances. What is getting in the way of yours? If you’re interested in learning more about the book, head over to maybeitsyou.com and if you pre-order the book, Lauren is offering 50% off Handel’s Inner.U digital coaching course. If you’re looking for more resources or maybe you want to work with a coach, visit the Handel Group website and explore your options. Wishing you health and happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this week's House Call: Finding Trigger Foods Julie, an Eat Fat, Get Thin challenge participant, is curious about transitioning off of a program and onto every day eating. She asks, “How do I get a good read on whether certain foods are OK for me? What’s the best indicator that a food is good or not good?” Can We Eat Too Much Fat? Our next question comes from Sandra who asks, “Still have questions on upper limits of fats. Is there too much of a good thing?” My Top Superfoods Out final question comes from Anna who asks, “What superfoods are most important to stay healthy?” Now I want to hear from you. Have you had luck finding your trigger foods? What did you do that worked well? How do you feel when you eat high-quality fat? And what are your favorite superfoods? Leave your comments on my Facebook page. If you liked this video, share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, and send your video submissions to drhyman.com/blog, and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this weeks House Call: The Harm of Statins Our first question comes from Dorothy. Dorothy has successfully completed the Eat Fat, Get Thin program and now all of her labs are normal, but her new physician wants her to get back on statins which Dorothy doesn’t want to do. She asks, “What can I say to my physician to keep her from dismissing me as a patient?” High Fat Diets and Cancer Our next question comes from Cathy who says, “A lower fat diet has always been recommended to reduce risk for breast cancer. Do you feel this is incorrect?” Now I want to hear from you! Are you taking a statin Or have you gotten off your statins and met with resistance from your primary care physician? Do you have any experience with good quality high-fat diets? Post your comments on my Facebook page. If you liked this video be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, and send your video submissions to support@drhyman.com and maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

On this week's house call: Alison asks, “What are some wellness routines to add in addition to our normal routines while traveling? What additional supplements should I take while traveling?” I travel a lot; in fact, 50 percent of my time is spent traveling. If I didn’t keep myself healthy while on the road there is absolutely no way that I could perform optimally. There are a few basics that you must maintain while traveling in order to stay healthy. Intermittent Fasting “I just finished Eat Fat, Get Thin,” writes my second question, this one from a Twitter user. “What are your thoughts about combining Eat Fat, Get Thin with intermittent fasting?” For those of you who don’t know what intermittent fasting is, it’s a way of eating where you incorporate time restrictions into your eating schedule. Now, I don’t normally recommend skipping meals – especially breakfast . However, with intermittent fasting, you’re not just whimsically skipping meals, which can mess with your blood sugar and energy levels, you are employing a strategized way to miss meals. I often recommend intermittent fasting to patients who are really resistant to weight loss. When you combine this type of fasting with my Eat Fat, Get Thin program, you can get really impressive results. Now I want to hear from you. Do you have any tips for staying healthy while traveling? Have you experimented with intermittent fasting? Post your comments on my Facebook page. If you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter, and send your video submissions to support@drhyman.com and maybe next week I’ll make a house call to you. Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD.

Feeding Our Kids and Thyroid Health Our first question for this week’s House Call comes from Robyn. She wants to know what treats and snacks she can feed her young children, and she also asks if there are any special considerations that need to be taken into account when following the Pegan diet while pregnant or breastfeeding. The Root Cause of Hashimoto’s Our next question comes from Mimi who asks, “For a Hashimoto’s diagnosis, how do we get to the root of the problem?” This is a great question. For those who don’t know, Hashimoto’s is an autoimmune condition in which your immune system attacks your thyroid. Looking at the bigger picture, thyroid disease affects 1 in 5 women and 1 in 10 men, yet 50 percent of those with this disease go undiagnosed. Testing Your Thyroid Our final question ties into the previous question. SweetNizz asks, “My doctor needs to test my thyroid correctly. I need a full thyroid panel including reverse T3. How can I ask yet not offend?” Now I want to hear from you! Do you have tips for raising healthy eaters? Are you dealing with Hashimoto’s or thyroid disease? Post your thoughts on my Facebook page. If you liked this video, be sure to share it with your friends and family on Facebook or Twitter. If you have a question for our House Call series, send a video to support@drhyman.com or tweet me @markhymanmd. Maybe next week I’ll make a House Call to you! Wishing you health & happiness, Mark Hyman, MD

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 support@drhyman.com 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 support@drhyman.com, 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.