Healing Nutrition of Sonoma

06/16/2026

I was surprised by the study finding the low end of LDL not causing cognitive effects. But the most important part is that most women have trouble managing LDL post menopause. This leads to a higher risk of dementia.

As much as I am not a huge proponent of statins, a low-dose may be a good idea for some women. Or an alternative that I've been using with success is a combination of a red yeast rice product with guaranteed monokolin K content (the active constituent in a statin drug) along with daily Pu'erh tea (known for its cholesterol, lowering effects). I like the one from Rishi tea in the US. I herb now carries my favorite RYR product called HPF Cholestene. Two caps twice daily with food will get you near to the low dose of a statin without the side effects.

I learned about the study from John at Gene Food:

A new study in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry found keeping LDL cholesterol low may help protect against dementia.

Researchers followed tens of thousands of adults and found that people with LDL under 70 mg/dL had a 26% lower risk of developing dementia and a 28% lower risk of Alzheimer's compared with those whose LDL ran above 130 mg/dL.

More striking still: those whose LDL dipped below 55 mg/dL (which is very low) saw an additional 18% reduction in risk. And among people already on statins, very low LDL lowered dementia risk further—with no sign of cognitive side effects.

06/16/2026

The effects of estrogen blockers on bone health weighs heavily on my mind. The positive impacts of estrogen replacement on bone health starting early in menopause has been well-established.

What about all the women who not only can’t access this benefit but are also depleted of estrogen before or after menopause? The impacts are frightening to consider.

“The large National Institutes of Health–funded Study of Osteoporotic Fractures showed that women who had been taking estrogen since menopause had lower fracture risk throughout the 11-year study, by which time the average duration of estrogen use was 35 years.7 Estrogen inhibits osteoclasts, but not as much as bisphosphonates or denosumab, and it supports osteoblast life span, so there is no increased risk of atypical fractures or jaw osteonecrosis. In fact, the Women’s Health Initiative showed fracture reduction in women in the estrogen groups regardless of age.”

A risk-benefit analysis should be part of oncology decision making for breast cancer.

This Viewpoint considers controversies regarding osteoporotic fracture prevention strategies, noting that some currently available medications, including estrogen, are underused and poorly understood.

06/10/2026

Share this with family and friends to help them understand that cancer (and other chronic illness) is not random. Looking back I can point to most of the signs in my own environment and my symptoms.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c444oZmHnZPmqzelzHUpyanE2XYoDMLL/view?usp=drivesdk

05/30/2026

Rhonda Patrick PhD recently shared this study.

Sleep deprivation and cognitive challenges are common post breast cancer treatment. Here’s an interesting study that showed a dose of creatine equal to an average 14 g improved cognitive function in adults with sleep deprivation.

Creatine also has evidence for supporting muscle strength .

Caution for anyone with active cancer.

Some studies in solid tumors so it could increase risk of metastasis. But I feel comfortable with anyone in remission from early stage breast cancer who has worked on their terrain and has tried other ways of improving sleep. And if doing resistance training, creatine might help build muscle, which improves metabolic health.

Sometimes people have GI side effects at higher doses but can work up slowly. It can be whisked into water or put in a smoothie. 1 scoop equals 5 g so a good schedule would be 1.5 scoops twice daily. Doesn’t taste like much.

It’s available from Fullscript in the US. Thorne and Kleen Creatine are good brands to look for.

Background/Objectives: Creatine is a supplement that, beyond its physiological effects, has been shown to have positive effects on cognitive abilities. In our previous study, we showed that a single dose of 0.35 g/kg creatine induces changes in brain metabolism during sleep deprivation and reduces d...

05/26/2026

Variants in three genes in combination dramatically increase risk of breast cancer: CYP1B1, COMT, and GSTM1. Nutrition Genome tells you all three.

05/25/2026

Use my link and code MEMORIAL20 for 20% off through May 27. https://nutritiongenome.com/shop-nutrition-genome/ref/520/

05/20/2026

A little light humor…

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1793526537950398?fs=e&mibextid=wwXIfr&fs=e

05/16/2026

I pulled this recipe out in my need to scale back the carbs and takeoff a few pounds this spring. Forgot how great it is—love it with some olive oil. Important: add 2 tablespoons of Great Lakes gelatin (the orange container) to the dry ingredients before adding the warm water. Also, oil your hands liberally before trying to spread the dough. I cut into squares and store in a container with pieces of parchment leftover from the baking. https://www.powerhungry.com/2021/10/06/vegan-coconut-flour-flax-focaccia-3-ingredients-grain-free/?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=organic

05/11/2026

Interesting and thought-provoking research. Say what you will about Peter Attia’s personal shortcomings, his team explores research and explains the concepts and insights in a way that’s easily digestible.

I love that the menopausal transition is described as a time of brain remodeling. But would love to know how this affects women who are thrown into early menopause by cancer treatments. This hints at the importance of becoming metabolically flexible for best brain function in menopause.

Menopause is often framed as a reproductive milestone. Brain imaging data suggest it may also be a neurological one.