Dr. Monica Aggarwal

How to Dramatically Reduce Health Risk for All Races

Dr. Kim Williams is a top cardiologist and he joined my show today to share how to dramatically reduce health risk for all races. 

The first half of the show Dr. Kim Williams shares how race plays a factor in health and what we can do to fix it. 

Have a question about your health? Feel free to message me or schedule an appointment (click-here). 

Big 3 Episode Takeaways

  • Our government gives subsidies for bad things in the food industry  that in-turn have negative consequences on the poor and their nutrition.
  • There is a lot of information being given out freely in the nutrition world (and medical at-times) that is inaccurate and misleading. We need to be cautious about where we get our information and how we act on that information. 
  • There are big healthcare disparities based on race and wealth that have a very big impact on our health. This impacts communities geographically, economically and impacts families for generations.

Here’s a minute by minute of How to Dramatically Reduce Health Risk For All Races: 

0:00 Government and our Health

0:31 Who is Dr. Kim Williams

2:15 How socioeconomic status affects health

4:00 Healthcare disparities

5:10 Healthcare differences based on wealth

11:15 Implicit biases during treatment

15:15 Life expectancy is decreasing

18:15 Creating Equality in Healthcare

22:00 Educate the next generation on Nutrition

23:10 Vegan vs. Non-Vegan Health

26:35 Mediterranean Diet data problem

28:17 Mediterranean Diet vs. Vegan Diet Test

30:10 Advice to younger medical doctors today

35:30 Why nutrition is so important

About Cardiologist Dr. Kim Williams:

Dr. Kim Williams Sr. is an American cardiologist. He is a Fellow of the American College of Cardiology and served as its president from 2015 to 2016. He is currently a trustee of the organization.

Dr. Williams has served as president of the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, chairman of the Coalition of Cardiovascular Organizations, and chairman of the board of the Association of Black Cardiologists, among other positions. In July 2022, Williams became the 24th Chair of the University of Louisville Department of Medicine in Louisville, KY.

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How to Stop Yo Yo Dieting Forever and Never Diet Again

Today Akash Vaghela joins us to share How to Stop Yo Yo Dieting FOREVER and live a healthier lifestyle without dieting.

What Akash Vaghela shares will leave you feeling healthier, less hungry and in the best shape of your life without having to spend hours a week in a gym.

Big 3 Episode Takeaways on How To Stop Yo Yo Dieting:

  • Even if you’re not completely plant based, the majority of your diet should be plant based. If you can’t be completely vegan, eat a bit of chicken or fish, but based on research ensure your diet is made up of a plant based foundation at the core. Be plant forward!
  • You can build muscle on a plant based diet. You can get stronger, you can get more lean and you can build muscle mass. Research shows there is no difference in muscle gain with a meat diet or plant diet, but with a plant diet you’ll live healthier.
  • We all have nutrient deficiencies (meat eaters and vegans). Supplements aren’t harmful and in-fact are beneficial. 

Here’s a minute by minute of How to Stop Yo Yo Dieting: 

0:00 Vitamin B12 deficiency

0:33 About Akash Vaghela

2:55 Akash Vaghela background

7:58 Optimal diet and lifestyle

9:24 Ultimate Nutritional lifestyle

12:40 Plant Based Diet or Not

14:08 Can Athletes Build Muscle as a Vegan

18:19 Gaining Muscle Mass as a Vegan

20:08 Is eating healthier more expensive

21:11 Best Protein for Vegans

24:09 Scrambled Eggs as a Vegan

24:31 Why most People have a B12 Deficiency

26:58 Does plant based diet make you feel more hungry

28:53 How long does it take to adjust eating as a Vegan

29:38 Transition vegans

31:01 Vegan or Not (gray area)

33:07 Staying fit in under 3 hours a week

35:06 How much cardio should I do

36:32 Transform your body transform your life

Who is Akash Vaghela

Akash Vaghela is an author, entrepreneur and coach, with 12+ years experience in the health and fitness industry.

In 2017, he founded RNT Fitness, the world’s leading online body transformation program for high performers that’s impacted 3000+ lives in 25+ countries.

His big vision is to see a world transformed, one life-changing journey at a time. To help spread the word, his work has been featured in the likes of Men’s Health, The Daily Telegraph and BBC. Akash is also the author of the Amazon best-selling book Transform Your Body Transform Your Life and host of the RNT Fitness Radio podcast.

To see more of his life-changing work, go to: 

Website:  www.rntfitness.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rnt_fitness/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RNTFitness1

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Social Connections and Health

Social Connections and Health (What Research Shows)

Today Dr. Beth Frates and I discuss what research shows about social connections and health.

Dr. Beth Frates  is a pioneer in Lifestyle Medicine education and is an award-winning teacher at Harvard. This is a conversation that isn’t had enough about how our health is impacted by our social connections. 

Listen into this powerful conversation about social connections and health and make sure to jump in our community after to share any thoughts or ask any questions you may have. 

Big 3 Episode Takeaways

  • There is a science and art of social connection that we don’t discuss enough today around our health. We touch on different lifestyle medicine topics like what exercise does for your heart or the importance of nutrition, but rarely do we discuss the science of social connection and the impact on our health. Research consistently shows that those who have more social connections compared to those that don’t, tend to live a longer healthier life. 
  • We all need to have someone in our life, a charismatic adult as Dr. Robert Brooks states, that we gather strength from. We all should have one person that we can go to or call and have a heart to heart with. We should not only know who that charismatic adult is in our life but we should also know who we can be that charismatic adult for. 
  • It’s important to be kind and compassionate by accepting gifts from others. Compassion isn’t just us giving, but it’s us being willing to receive also. Showing our vulnerabilities is also important for our health instead of us bottling it up. Lastly to improve our health we should consider expressive writing. 

Here’s a minute by minute of Social Connections and Health (What Research Shows):

0:00 Dr. Beth Frates reaching higher ground

0:40 Who is Dr. Beth Frates

3:41 Pillars of Social Connection

8:00 We need to nourish and nurture social connections

8:50 You must connect once a day to be healthy and happy

10:40 Social Media paints a different picture

13:35 We can have perfect and imperfection at the same time

16:37 Dr. Robert Brooks and charismatic adult

18:40 Having a sense of purpose in our life

21:40 Find someone you can find joy from

26:40 Being kind and compassionate by receiving

29:39 Showing your vulnerabilities is important

31:50 Lack of control

34:20 Learning to accept when we lack control

36:10 Expressive writing for Health

40:00 Why embracing a growth mindset can improve your health

43:22 Thank You Dr. Beth Frates

Who is Dr. Beth Frates:

Elizabeth (Beth) Pegg Frates, MD is a pioneer in Lifestyle Medicine education, is an award-winning teacher at Harvard, and currently works with patients to help them adopt and sustain healthy habits. Dr. Frates’s interest in and passion for wellness started well before medical school.

When Dr. Frates was 18 years old, her father suffered a heart attack and a stroke. He was only 52 at the time. This event sparked her interest in medicine, physiatry, and stroke, in particular.

Dr. Frates went on to graduate magna cum laude from Harvard College, majoring in both psychology and biology. She then attended Stanford Medical School, interned at Mass General Hospital, and completed her residency in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School where she served as Chief Resident.

After residency, Dr. Frates focused on stroke with an emphasis on stroke prevention. Fascinated empowering people to adopt healthy habits, Dr. Frates pursued further training in behavior change through health and wellness coaching programs as well as motivational interviewing training.

Since 1996, Dr. Frates has been on faculty at Harvard Medical School and has won multiple teaching awards for her work in many different pre-clinical core courses covering topics including nutrition, the musculoskeletal system, the central nervous system, the endocrine system, and an introduction to the medical profession. She also developed and taught a college Lifestyle Medicine curriculum at the Harvard Extension School, which is one of the most popular courses offered at the school and was chosen as a case study for successful courses.

Dr. Frates is also an accomplished author, having published several books, medical textbooks, and calendars. After co-authoring a book titled “Life After Stroke: The Guide to Recovering Your Health and Preventing Another Stroke”, Dr. Frates spent a great deal of time lecturing and writing about health and prevention topics, including nutrition and exercise. More recently, her book titled “The Lifestyle Medicine Handbook: An Introduction to the Power of Healthy Habits” was included in a list of the 100 Best Medicine Books of All Time by BookAuthority.

Learn more about Dr. Beth Frates by visiting: https://www.bethfratesmd.com/

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How to Improve Kidney Health with Nutrition

How to Improve Kidney Health with Nutrition

Today Dr. Shivam Joshi shares how to improve kidney health with nutrition.

Dr. Joshi is a highly awarded kidney doctor and joined me for an hour to share how our kidneys function, how to prevent kidney problems and discuss kidney disease.

Have a question about kidney health? Join our conversation in our free community where we have deeper discussions (click-here). 

Big 3 Episode Takeaways

  • Diabetes, a terrible disease, is the number one problem damaging your kidneys. The second biggest problem that causes kidney damage is high blood pressure. The majority of diseases that cause kidney problems are diseases that are preventable. 
  • There are 5 stages of kidney disease. Stage 3 is moderate and in the middle, where as stage 4 & 5 are more advanced kidney disease. The majority of those with kidney disease are stage 3. 
  • Healthy lifestyle habits, such as the food you eat can lessen kidney issues. There are foods you should avoid, such as fruit juices, dried fruit, tomato sauce, and salt substitutes. You can eat fruit, salads and plants. Example: Have an orange, but avoid orange juice.

Here’s a minute by minute of How to Improve Kidney Health with Nutrition with Dr. Shivam Joshi:

0:00 Emotional response to medication

0:30 Who is Dr. Shivam Joshi

2:27 What is a Nephrologist

3:30 How do we make Urine

5:25 What damages your Kidneys

6:50 Why does Diabetes and High Blood Pressure Damage Kidneys

8:02 What is preventive nephrology

10:21 How can you correct Kidney disease

12:04 Can you prevent worsening Kidney disease

14:25 What are the different stages of Kidney disease

16:40 How do you lessen Kidney disease

19:01 Anti-inflammatory drugs impact on kidneys

21:19 Don’t hate medication

25:10 Potassium and Kidney Disease

27:19 Fruit juices impact on your health

29:05 Foods to avoid with Kidney disease

31:12 Orange Juice and your Kidneys

32:27 Should you reduce potassium

35:32 Understanding sodium and your Kidneys

38:00 Fruits and Sodium

40:37 How much water should you drink for your Kidneys

40:42 How often should you pee each day

44:18 If Sodium is low should you eat more salt

46:08 Protein and Kidney Disease

47:52 High Protein Diet and Kidney Disease

53:05 Hope with Kidney Disease

About Dr. Shivam Joshi:

Shivam Joshi, MD, received his BS from Duke University and his MD from the University of Miami. He completed his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami and his nephrology fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.

He has been featured in the NY Times, CNN, and The Wall Street Journal. He currently works at the Orlando VA as a full-time nephrologist.

He has a research interest in plant-based diets in kidney disease and has written numerous scientific articles and speaks nationally on this subject.

He is the youngest nephrologist to receive the highest award in renal nutrition, the National Kidney Foundation’s Joel D. Kopple Award. You can follow him on Twitter, Instagram (@sjoshiMD), and on his website: https://afternoonrounds.com/

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Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior Review with Ann & Jane Esselstyn

Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior Review with Ann & Jane Esselstyn

Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior Review!

Today Ann and Jane Esselstyn dive deep into the creation of this plant-based bestselling cookbook. This plant-based cookbook is filled with over 125 delicious recipes for those who are on the go. 

Though the title is, Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior, as we discuss in this review, this is made for both men and women.

Big 3 Episode Takeaways (outside of all the recipes discussed): 

  • The biggest obstacle most people have in changing their diet and lifestyle for the better is the mental obstacle! When patients are forced to change for health reasons, it’s one thing, but when they just want to be healthier, most are faced with the mental obstacle that causes problems.
  • Weaning yourself off of foods you’ve traditionally eaten is much harder than just ripping the band-aid off and doing it. 
  • We all need to find places to find joy in our lives. Though we are all faced with friction at different times in our life, we won’t see the rainbows without that rain. 

About Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior: 

Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior includes more than 125 recipes made for women on the go, from Apple Flax Flapjacks and Black Ramen Bowls, to Portobello Sliders with Green Goddess Sauce, to Mint Chip Outta Sight Brownies. And it includes big-flavored dinners like Sweet Potato and Cashew Ricotta Lasagna and Plant-Based Pad Thai, sure to tempt even the most reluctant vegetable-focused eaters. 

Full of life, captivating energy, and delicious food, this cookbook brings readers to the Esselstyn family table, where plants and joy are at the center.

About Ann & Jane Esselstyn: 

The Esselstyn family is three generations plant-based strong. 

Encouraged to create recipes without dairy and meat when her husband’s research pointed to the impact of diet on reversing disease, Ann Esselstyn began feeding her family creative, plant-based meals more than thirty years ago. 

She and her daughter, Jane Esselstyn, are bolts of energy from the same strike of lightning and have become fierce, big-spirited advocates for a plant-based lifestyle, reaching hundreds of thousands of fans through their previous books and their popular YouTube channel.

Learn more Ann and Jane Esselstyn: https://www.dresselstyn.com/site/about/about-ann-jane-esselstyn/

Here’s a minute by minute of Be a Plant-Based Woman Warrior Review with Ann & Jane Esselstyn:

0:00 Ann & Jane Esselstyn Introduction 

1:46 Why Be a Plant Based Woman Warrior 

4:50 Is Plant Based Woman Warrior for Men Also 

9:40 Dr. Esselstyn and Food as Medicine 

12:23 What are 3 Staple Foods to Start With 

17:10 What Stops People from Changing their Diet for Good 

19:50 Is Beyond Meat healthy 

21:14 What are your favorite recipes 

30:00 Few easy ways to start a plant based diet 

41:34 How can someone feel more Joy 

45:00 Nighttime journaling process

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Diabetes Health

How to Improve Your Diabetes Health Once And For All

Today you’ll learn how to improve your diabetes health while we speak with Dr. Cyrus Khambatta. 

Dr. Cyrus Khambatta is the co-author of The New York Times bestseller Mastering Diabetes. He co-created the Mastering Diabetes Method to reverse insulin resistance in all forms of diabetes, and has helped more than 10,000 people improve their metabolic health using low-fat, plant-based, whole-food nutrition, intermittent fasting, and exercise.

Episode Summary: 

  • You can lower your insulin use and get better blood glucose levels with a high carbohydrate diet vs. a low carb diet like many doctors recommend.
  • You can reverse insulin resistance and feel the best you’ve ever felt by changing your diet.
  • We need to understand all the different kinds of carbs and how they impact glucose levels and insulin. We shouldn’t fear carbs.
  • You can eat a nutrient-rich diet filled with healthy carbs. Apples, bananas, oranges, and other fruit is fine and recommended. 
  • Both type 1 and 2 diabetes can be managed by the foods we eat. You can reverse your medication dependence with type 2 diabetes, when you change your diet early. 

Here’s a minute by minute of Dr. Cyrus Khambatta | How to Improve Your Diabetes Health Once And For All:

0:00 Who is Dr. Cyrus Khambatta

8:57 How Dr. Cyrus Khambatta treated his diabetes

10:35 Lowering insulin usage 42% in 1-week

13:28 Understanding insulin resistance

15:53 How to help diabetic eating low carbs

19:45 Mastering Diabetes Book Summary

21:27 Why Personalized Coaching vs. Book

23:29 6-Week Blood Sugar Transformation Challenge

24:40 Type 1 diabetes vs type 2

29:15 Curing Type 2 Diabetes

32:50 Type 2 Diabetes discontinuing insulin

36:23 Fasting and Diabetes

40:08 Endocrinologist problem

43:20 Dr. Cyrus Khambatta Diet

46:00 Dr. Monica Aggarwal Diet

Who Is Dr. Cyrus Khambatta:

Cyrus Khambatta, PhD earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2003, then earned a PhD in Nutritional Biochemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 2012. He is the co-author of many peer-reviewed scientific publications.

He is the co-founder of Mastering Diabetes and Amla Green, and is an internationally recognized nutrition and fitness coach who has been living with type 1 diabetes since 2002.

He co-created the Mastering Diabetes Method to reverse insulin resistance in all forms of diabetes, and has helped more than 10,000 people improve their metabolic health using low-fat, plant-based, whole-food nutrition, intermittent fasting, and exercise.

He is the co-host of the annual Mastering Diabetes Online Summit, a featured speaker at the Plant-Based Nutrition and Healthcare Conference (PBNHC), the American College of Lifestyle Medicine Conference (ACLM), Plant Stock, the Torrance Memorial Medical Center, and has been featured on NPR, KQED, Forks Over Knives, Healthline, Fast Company, Diet Fiction, and the wildly popular podcasts Plant Proof and Nutrition Rounds. He is a co-author of the upcoming book Mastering Diabetes with Robby Barbaro, MPH.

Learn more about Dr. Cyrus Khambatta: https://www.masteringdiabetes.org/

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How to have faith

How to Trust During Hard Times with Actress Gianna Simone

Actress Gianna Simone shares with us today how to trust during hard times in life. 

Gianna Simone has a beautiful spirit of hope and today you’ll learn through Gianna’s story how to push forward even in the darkest times of life.

Episode Summary:

  • Social media can be a bit of a highlight reel, but everyone overcomes struggles in life. It’s important you hear about them so you can find hope for the moments of life when you feel you’re in the darkest valley. 
  • Forgiveness doesn’t mean excusing or giving someone a pass to continue doing whatever it is again and again. It’s understanding we all make mistakes and who are we to judge. It’s important to understand that who ever caused you harm is also suffering and hurting and unfortunately it’s coming out in dysfunctional ways. 
  • Remember you can always have such an impact on anyone we come across in life. Show love and support to everyone because you never understand what’s going on in someone’s life because you can make such a difference.
  • Learn how to love how to love feeling good in life.
  • Have faith and trust in yourself. If you’ve done the work that is needed, trust in yourself that you’ll be ok. Don’t let fear hold you back. 
  • When you’re looking to make a positive change in your life, surround yourself around that community of who you want to become. Find mentors and a community who can support you. 

Here’s a minute by minute of Actress Gianna Simone | How to Trust During Hard Times:

0:00 Gianna Simone on Trust

0:29 Who is Gianna Simone

3:19 Gianna Simone Life

6:22 Gianna Simone Childhood

8:31 How to forgive and heal

11:15 How Faith became a part of Gianna Simone’s Life

15:50 Why Love and Kindness are so Important

19:00 Why Gianna fell in love with the Gym

23:38 Gianna Simone Vegan

26:36 Learning how to love feeling Good

27:39 Should you eat Amla Indian Gooseberry

29:31 Aerial Acrobatics – What is it

33:55 How to Stay Motivated when you’re the Worst

37:55 How to Shift to a Whole Food Plant Based Diet

41:58 The Importance of Relationships

43:33 Gianna Simone Foundation

About Actress Gianna Simone: 

Gianna Simone is an exemplary role model for kids, teenagers, young adults, and young professionals, who seek inspiration for how they can positively impact the world. Overcoming great obstacles of her past Gianna found great strength in acting. 

She has been in some of Hollywood’s biggest successes such as “Star Trek Into Darkness”, “I Can Only Imagine”, Garry Marshall’s “Mother’s Day”, & “Unbroken Path To Redemption” to name a few. Her life goal is to bring hope and positive change to abused and neglected individuals all around the world. 

As a role model her story of success includes creating educational opportunities through special relationships in the educational arena, and providing hope that through hard work and persistence there is a bright future. She serves as a mentor for a residential foster facility in the Los Angeles area, and also serves as a board member of The Plantrician Project where physicians and healthcare practitioners are educated empowered and equipped with knowledge about the indisputable benefits of plant-based nutrition. Gianna is also the producer and host of the Amazon Prime show “Love, Gianna” where she interviews the world’s top plant based physicians and athletes. She has spoken at the United Nations on behalf of her foundation The Gianna Simone Foundation. Which provides scholarships to Rwandan survivors of the 1994 genocide, works closely with foster youth, sex trafficked women and animal rescues. 

To learn more about Gianna Simone visit: https://giannasimone.com/

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How do you reduce your blood pressure using lifestyle?

There are many ways to reduce your blood pressure using your lifestyle. Weight loss will really help you reduce your blood pressure. Another way is movement. Walking is a great way to reduce your blood pressure. Start a walking program- even 2000 steps extra per day is great for your body. Reducing stress can help. We know when you get stressed, your blood pressure goes up. Stress relaxing techniques like meditation and yoga will help bring your blood pressure down. Another big way to reduce blood pressure is through a dietary change. Reducing sodium through eliminating processed foods and removing the saltshaker from the kitchen table is a great idea. You need to also increase your potassium rich foods in your diet and eat them daily. Potassium rich foods are foods like kale, avocado, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and bananas. Eat for your health!

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How do you take your blood pressure?

Most people take their blood pressure with an automated cuff at home. If you are buying a cuff, buy a an arm cuff rather than a wrist cuff. Make sure the size is good and if you have a larger arm, the cuff needs to be larger. The same goes for if you have a smaller arm, use a smaller cuff. Some people with very thin arms will even need a pediatric cuff. This is important because if you have a large arm and the cuff isn’t large enough for your arm, then your blood pressure will appear falsely elevated. Similarly, if your cuff is too big for your arm, your blood pressure will appear lower than it actually is.

Blood pressure should be taken in a quiet room and your legs should not be crossed. Make sure you have been sitting for three minutes before you actually take your pressure. Also make sure that the arm is lying comfortably at the level of the heart.

How do you take your blood pressure? Read More »

Do we need to stop eating salt to be healthy?

More important than considering the salt is thinking about the sodium. The body needs some sodium to contract and relax muscles, conduct nerve impulses and maintain water balance. The body gets sodium from food. There is sodium in most foods including in fruits like bananas. That is not a bad thing.

The problem is that people are eating too much sodium, close to 6,000 mg of sodium per day and eating too much sodium can be associated with high blood pressure and fluid retention. Many people need to work on cutting back the amount of sodium they are taking in to somewhere closer to 2,000 and 3,000 grams per day and even more if you have high blood pressure or heart failure. That can be done by cutting out processed foods and removing the saltshaker from the kitchen table. Eating out is another big source for sodium. To give you an idea of how much salt people are eating, a teaspoon of salt has 2000 mg of sodium in it. People develop a taste for lots of salt and it takes time for those people to realize that food is quite delicious with a whole lot less salt. At the same time, most of the time, it is not necessary to have no salt. If you eat natural, whole foods and add a little salt to your family cooking, you are going to be in good shape.

Do we need to stop eating salt to be healthy? Read More »

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