The Aesthetics Advisor

This interview (below) features repeat guest Georgi Dinkov who is a virtual firehose of information and an expert on the work of the late Ray Peat (1,2) Ph.D., an author and pioneer in nutrition, bioenergetic medicine, environmental factors and regenerative processes. Some of the information in this interview will challenge some of your long held views as it did mine. We all have conformational biases and I encourage you to let yours go for awhile and consider the possibility that some of this information might be true for you and others. This is among the best interviews I’ve done in years, and we take deep dives into a wide variety of topics. The full interview is over three hours long, so I’m dividing it into two parts. This is Part 1. This year, on a near-daily basis, I’ve been listening to Dinkov’s podcast for two to three hours at a stretch, and I sometimes repeat them two or three times, because each episode is just so chockful of information. If you want...

1. Chronological Age vs Biological Age Chronological age is the age that is marked by your "birthday", i.e. how old you are according to your birth certificate. Biological age is the age your "body" is and can be measured by parameters such as lean body mass, insulin resistance, cholesterol levels and exercise capacity. We all age but unfortunately, for many people their bodies wear out prematurely decades too soon. 2. Markers of Biological Age Muscle Mass Muscle Strength Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) Body Fat Percentage Aerobic Capacity Blood Sugar Tolerance Cholesterol HDL/LDL Ratio Blood Pressure Bone Density Body's Ability to Regulate Temperature 3. Causes of Premature Aging There are many culprits but below are just some to mention.. Chronic Stress Poor dietary habits Excessive alcohol and smoking Inactivity Obesity Chronic illness 4. How to Prevent Aging To preserve our youthfulness for eternity, our body's anti-aging system need to function at the optimu...

For most people, arthritis pain and inflammation cannot be avoided as the body ages. In fact, most people over the age of 50 show some signs of arthritis. Joints naturally degenerate over time. Fortunately, arthritis can be managed through a combination of medication, exercise, rest, weight-management, nutrition, and, in some cases, surgery.  Your doctor can tell if you have arthritis through blood tests and x-rays. He or she will then be able to help you decide on the best treatment for your case. 1. What Causes Arthritis  In a normal joint, the ends where two bones meet are coated with cartilage, which absorbs shocks and keeps the bones from rubbing together whenever a joint is moved. In an arthritic joint, however, The cartilage membranes is inflamed or worn out with time. 2. Arthritis Treatments i. Pain control - pain killers, steroids, anti-inflammatory drugs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory gel ii. Cartilage/synovial fluid substrate - glucosamine sulphate, chondroitin su...

1. What is Diabetes? Diabetes is a condition in which the blood glucose level is too high. There are two types of diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is found in children. The problem is that the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. Insulin injections are needed. Type 2 Diabetes is also called non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and develops in adults. People develop this condition when their insulin does not work properly (insulin resistance). Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes include being overweight, family history of diabetes, and lack of exercise.  2. Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes My weight puts me at risk (Asians BMI ≥ 23; Others BMI ≥ 25)  I have a parent, brother or sister with diabetes I had diabetes when I was pregnant or I gave birth to a baby weighing 9 pounds or more My blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or higher or I have been told I had high blood pressure  My cholesterol levels are high.  My good cholesterol is <40mg/dl (men) and <50mg/dl for women, ...

The late Adelle Davis, who passed away in 1974, was my first mentor in nutrition. She’s known as the most famous — and controversial — nutritionist in the early to mid-20th century. Her first publication was a 1932 promotional pamphlet for milk. Between 1935 and 1965, she wrote several books, four of which were written for the public: "Let’s Cook It Right," "Let’s Have Healthy Children," "Let’s Eat Right to Keep Fit," and "Let’s Get Well." Some 10 million copies of these four books were sold during her lifetime. I purchased all of her books and read them in the ‘70s. As my first nutrition mentor, she was my inspiration to adopt a healthy diet. Of course, my concept evolved quite dramatically over time, from fasting and low-carb eating to my current adoption of Ray Peat’s Bioenergetic principles that includes loads of ripe fruit and avoidance of all fasting. Was she right about everything? No, but she was correct about many of the foundational nut...

Did you know that you can test the healing properties of foods in the same ways in which you test pharmaceutical drugs? It’s true. You can make decisions about what to eat and drink based on scientific evidence gleaned from testing foods with the same systems and methods that have been used to develop certain drug therapies. And the data generated when we study food like medicine clearly show that food can influence our health in beneficial ways. That is why I decided to write my book, Eat to Beat Disease . It examines many of the data-driven ways in which we can use certain foods to combat and prevent illness. But one common factor that many people have a challenging time addressing is how much of a certain food they should eat to achieve optimal health. So, let’s talk about food doses! One key element of the “ food as medicine ” movement is the idea that there are certain doses of food that have been shown to thwart illness. When I say you can eat to beat disease, this is precisely w...