Posts by Ryan Nienhuis

Sexually stimulating foods have been a topic of debate since the dawn of man-kind. Recently I enjoyed a list suggested by AlterNet. Their Top 10 Aphrodisiac Foods suggested are asparagus, almonds, avocado, bananas, basil, chocolate, figs, garlic, oysters, and honey. For each food there was a delightful little tidbit stating that the food being suggested was a particularly rich source of some nutrient...
2/14/2012 9:05:50 AM
How often have you said, "I know I should, but..."? How often do we continue with self-destructive behavior? What do you do when you see someone else, someone you love, being self-destructive? Acknowledging our self-truth is the first step to healing. We need to be clear about whether we are dealing with a true addiction or an attachment, and then seek the right kind of help for it. We must take responsibility...
1/4/2012 9:46:41 AM
It really annoys me when I hear doctor say, "Oh it's only a touch of sugar". Diabetes is a miserable disease that causes serious disability as well as death. Why would anyone treat a diagnosis of pre-diabetes as minor? Poor circulation is a hallmark of diabetes. Yes, people with diabetes have a 2-4 times greater risk of dying from a heart attack. Yet even if your heart doesn't fail, diabetes can still...
11/4/2011 10:04:56 AM
But you're skinny!... It's amazing how often I've been dismissed with those words -- as if my advice might be tainted by some sort of magical genetic gift of thinness. It assumes there is no way I could personally understand the struggle against obesity. There is no "credit" for having battled against gaining weight for 35 years. The truth is that it was often an unsuccessful struggle to keep my weight...
11/2/2011 10:01:40 AM
A new study proclaims that gastric banding pays for itself in approximately two years for patients with diabetes. A systematic review of gastric surgery effects on diabetes found that both gastric banding and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery are capable of improving or even curing type 2 diabetes, but the mechanisms may differ. Sounds like the answer to a prayer, or is it? Using gastric...
10/26/2011 9:26:51 AM
Recently I attended another "functional medicine" seminar. Functional medicine (FM) differs from the mainstream in that it focuses on the individual variations of metabolic pathways across systems. For example, instead of looking at just gut health, it examines how your gut interacts with your brain, liver, hormones, immune function, etc. It is fascinating science, and yet it frustrates me in that...
8/3/2011 11:01:12 AM
A student asked me, "Are fast food companies to blame for the obesity epidemic in America?" The simple answer would have to be "no" because the cause of obesity is much more complex. Obesity is a problem of balance -- eating more than our body uses. Seems simple, yet it is incredibly complex. There's a balance between blaming the person or blaming something else. Yes, we have personal choice. And yes,...
6/8/2011 8:51:02 AM
Last week I flew from Tampa to Los Angeles for a one day meeting. Friends asked me if I was crazy. No, the business training was worth it, and I have a system for beating jet lag. With over 25 international flights logged, it's a well-tested routine that works for me. A few pieces of equipment are necessary; a good noise reduction headset, sleep mask, and a soft pharmacy-grade neck brace. The neck...
5/18/2011 9:17:21 AM
My last newsletter included a list of facts about cholesterol. I've been receiving a flurry of comments ever since. Beth E. sent me a link to Dr David Diamond's "The Truth Revealed" . Generally I agree with Dr Diamond's comments. Our medical community has been living with blinders re saturated fat. Saturated fat is relatively neutral. Polyunsaturated fats have the best results for reducing heart disease...
5/5/2011 3:28:46 PM
You've heard the promises of 40 pounds lost in 40 days. Is it real? Then you play with the numbers. A pound of fat per day is roughly a 3500 caloric burn. The HCG diet is based on 500 per day in addition to hormone drops. The average chronic dieter maintains weight on about 10 -12 calories per pound. So a 300 pound person eating only 500 calories per day might lose 40 pounds in 40 days... or more if...
4/26/2011 12:19:33 PM