Nutrition | Lesley James MD

December 6, 2023December 6, 2023

Herb of the Heart: Rosemary’s Journey from Garden to Plate

Rosemary, with its rich symbolism of love, loyalty, and remembrance, has become a cherished staple in both my kitchen and garden. Among the array of herbs, it holds a special place, ranking high as one of my favorites. The distinctive piney aroma and bittersweet flavor of rosemary make it a versatile herb, seamlessly incorporating itself into a myriad of dishes. From almost anything roasted to citrus-infused delights and even desserts, its culinary prowess knows no bounds, becoming an essential ingredient as the weather turns colder and the days grow shorter.

October 25, 2023October 25, 2023

Tofu: A Versatile and Nutritious Superfood

While I’m not a fan of the term “super food,” if I had to choose one, it would be tofu!

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it’s important to remember that tofu (soy) is perfectly safe for those with and at risk for breast cancer. In fact, some preliminary studies even suggest that tofu intake is associated with a lower risk of breast cancer.

In this blog post, we’ll explore the versatility and health benefits of tofu, share some delicious tofu recipes, and discuss its role in breast cancer prevention.

May 5, 2022May 6, 2022

Cook your way to a healthy lifestyle.

One of the things that I find really constructive to creating a healthy lifestyle is cooking. Becoming familiar with cooking meals allows you to feed yourself with exactly what specifically your body needs. Feeling comfortable enough with making substitutions in recipes so that they better nourish yourself is an essential step to achieving overall wellness. Additionally, by cooking at home rather than eating out, you can ideally reduce the amount of processed foods you are eating. Eliminating as many processed foods from your diet as possible is another crucial step to a healthier lifestyle. Also, I think it’s really important to cook and eat food that you actually like. Sometimes eating healthy can feel like a sacrifice, like you have to cut out foods that you really like, and lose joy in eating. By cooking, you can learn to make the delicious dishes that you want, and realize that healthy food is actually really tasty!

April 18, 2022May 5, 2022

Elevated Levels of Heavy Metals are Common and Concerning

For the past decade I have monitored patients for heavy metals, specifically lead and mercury. I find elevated levels on a weekly basis and, sadly, these results no longer surprise me.

February 14, 2022February 16, 2022

Salt: How Much is Too Much?

Recently I was surprised when a patient who was newly diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) mentioned that she had not been advised to cut back on salt, even after consulting with a nutritionist. This is concerning, as, according to the CDC, it is estimated that 90 percent of Americans ages 2 years and above consume too much salt (sodium), and that 2.5 million deaths around the world could be prevented if our salt consumption was reduced to meet the levels recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).

February 25, 2021February 25, 2021

Timing Matters when Intermittent Fasting

In the 15th century, the word breakfast became used to describe “breaking the fast.” However, when many people start intermittent fasting they tend to skip breakfast and begin eating at lunchtime. Unfortunately they are undermining their weight loss goals, as studies show that the benefits of fasting tend to be diminished when calories are shifted to the latter part of the day.

February 8, 2021February 15, 2021

What is a Healthy Glucose Level?

Recently I wrote about continuous glucose monitors, advanced technology for measuring glucose levels. Now that we know how glucose is measured and the available data, it’s important to explore what constitutes a “normal” glucose level.

January 26, 2021January 26, 2021

Gut-Wrenching Facts about Processed Foods

Most nutrition experts agree on a fundamental belief made famous by author Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mainly plants.” Pollan’s writings reflect that “food” refers to real, unprocessed food, and that what Americans buy in supermarkets and consume is, for the most part, far from real.

November 23, 2020December 8, 2020

Cardiometabolic Health and The Thyroid

Cardiometabolic health is often an overlooked aspect in the management of hormonal health and, specifically, thyroid health. The two are intricately connected, displaying a complex, weblike relationship that is both interdependent and bidirectional.

October 29, 2020November 9, 2020

COVID-19 Brings Attention to Cardiometabolic Health

Every day I see patients with varying health challenges, many of whom are additionally metabolically unhealthy. With the risk of COVID-19, poor cardiometabolic health has gained more attention, and some experts are even referring to it as a pandemic within the pandemic. As a preventive integrative physician, I see this as an opportunity for many to focus on metabolic health and, hopefully, make lemonade from lemons.