Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman

About Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman

A pioneer and internationally recognized expert in the fields of Integrative and Functional Medicine, Dr Frank Lipman is the founder and director of Eleven-Eleven Wellness Center in New York City, where his personal brand of healing has helped thousands of people reclaim their vitality and recover their zest for life.

Posts by Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman:

January 12 2017

7 Tips for Supporting a Friend Confronting Cancer

Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman Health 0

Over the holidays, we spent time with very close friends who are dealing with cancer diagnoses, surgeries and recovery.

They are very close to us, and n the beginning, I was at a a loss at how best to help them. So when my dear friend Dr. Frank Lipman shared these thoughts, I was so grateful. It is hard to know what to do, but it helps to think about what you would want if you were in the same situation.

Here are some additional insights from Dr. Lipman:

Cancer. It’s the word no one wants to hear and yet every day so many people do. Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ll have a friend or loved one who’s been diagnosed. When the devastating news reaches you, it’s not unusual to feel helpless, unsure of how to help or even how to react.

Keeping in mind that every patient’s journey is unique, you’re going to need to figure out how to provide support that’s thoughtful and helpful, without being invasive or overbearing.

Over the years, many of us at Be Well have had experiences with dear ones facing cancer and have gained a bit of wisdom (sometimes the hard way) on how to provide support. While by no means a definitive list, here are a few thoughts to consider when it’s time to be a source of strength for someone you love:

Hold It Together

It’s not easy, but resist the urge to cry or breakdown in front of the patient. By all means, be empathetic and loving, but if you’re going to lose it, try to do so privately. The last thing you want to do is put your sick friend in the position of trying to comfort you when they’re at their lowest. Don’t make it their job to prop you up.

It’s Not About You

When supporting or helping care for an ill friend, keep in mind that their crisis is not about you. Nor is it about your Aunt Hilda who was diagnosed and dead three weeks later — comparisons can be anything but helpful! As important as you may feel it is to air your thoughts on prognosis, survival rates, etc. (“I’m just being honest!”), for now, they’re perhaps best shared with someone other than the patient. The sick person may be in the fight of their lives — you’re not — so cool it on the negative oversharing, at least until they’re out of the woods. Another piece of advice: Don’t look for a ‘cause.’ Speculating on how your friend may have ‘come down’ with cancer won’t solve anything and can wind up blaming the victim — certainly not what the doctor ordered.

No, Really, It’s SO Not About You

If you choose to help out your friend by doing things like going with them to chemo appointments, running errands, doing household chores, or simply spending quality time, whatever it is, do it out of the goodness of your heart. Don’t do it for validation, or with an expectation of gratitude. Doing so will likely lead to disappointment and/or resentment. Keep in mind that those going through an illness like cancer may not have the emotional bandwidth to validate your ‘saintliness.’ Instead of looking for accolades, go quietly about your business, expect nothing in return, and use the experience as an opportunity to cultivate compassion as well as gratitude for the time you have together.

Don’t Ask Them to Ask You For Help

When a friend is ill, and in some cases looking at mortality in the face, they’re likely too overwhelmed to think about how you can help them. Or they simply may not be comfortable assigning you tasks. Make it easier for them. Instead of a vague offer like “Let me know if you need anything,” (however earnest it might be), ask them directly if you can do something specific to help lighten their physical, mental or emotional load. For example: “Can I …drive you to the doctor’s office? Babysit the kids? Mow your lawn? Wheel your recycling out for pickup? Bring over dinner and a funny movie? And offer only what you can truly deliver on. Last minute bailouts when an unwell person is relying on you are far more disappointing than you’ll ever know.

Gestures Don’t Have to Be Big

In many cases, being a supportive friend doesn’t mean moving in and taking over the running of your friend’s life — smaller gestures can be equally meaningful for the patient. As long as you are consistent and your actions don’t ask anything in return, your impact can be profound. For example, I’ve had cancer survivors tell me that things like frequent voicemails that required no response, daily thinking-of-you texts, and humorous email cards were among the little gestures that helped keep them afloat during their darkest days.

Speak a Little Less — and Listen More

Often, when nervous or anxious, people tend to talk too much. When spending time with an ill person, let them speak, and don’t be afraid of the silences. Give them the time and space to talk about whatever is on their mind, be it the score of yesterday’s baseball game, the latest celebrity break-up, or how badly they may be feeling. Also, learn to listen more. Keep the lines open so they know they can share their thoughts without the risk of being ignored or invalidated. Enable them to vent, laugh, cry, or do whatever they need to do without judgment, interruption, or imposing ‘solutions.’

Remember the Caregivers

When a friend is dealing with cancer, the unsung heroes are the caregivers, so try to support them as well. Again, something as simple as a hug that says ‘I understand,’ or giving them some space to vent can have a powerful effect, relieving some of their stress and loneliness in trying times. If you can, give them a break from their caregiving duties. Offer to spend the afternoon with your friend so the caregiver can have a few hours off to rest or do what they need to do, knowing their loved one is in good hands

August 3 2016

17 Ways to Keep Your Belly Blissful and Protect Your Microbiome

Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman Health, GMOs, Solutions 0

Inside your belly is a thriving bacterial world, an eco-system commonly known as the ‘microbiome.’ It’s filled with bacteria—trillions of them, in fact—all going about their daily business of keeping you well. Without you’re being aware of it, they’re busily breaking down food; extracting nutrients; producing vitamins and brain chemicals; fending off microbial invaders; protecting you from disease; and performing hundreds of tasks essential to keeping your systems functioning optimally.

Problem is, few of us reach adulthood with our microbiome in the best of shape—it’s picked up a few dents and dings along the way, from gut-busters like drugs and antibiotics, junk food, GMOs, conventionally or factory farmed meats and other assaults on our inner ecology.

All of the things that impair our microbiome disrupt gut health as well. We’ve come to think of digestive symptoms as normal—doesn’t “everyone” have a bit of gas or bloating?—but, in fact, these symptoms can be the first signs of a microbiome that’s gone off the rails. A damaged microbiome can’t nourish the gut wall. The result—increased intestinal permeability or “leaky gut, ” —in which the one-cell thick, tightly woven net of cells lining the gut loosen, creating spaces that allow bacteria, toxins and pieces of the partially digested food to “leak” through. This ‘prison break’ triggers system-wide inflammation that can produce symptoms almost anywhere in the body.

In my book, repairing a leaky gut and protecting your microbiome, is one of the most important things you can do to sustain health. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to do it—and here’s where to start:

1. Avoid Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) Whenever Possible

Why? Because we simply don’t know enough about what negative impact they may have on our bodies in the long-term. To find out which genetically modified foods to avoid, see the Non-GMO Project’s list.

2. Avoid Sweet and Starchy Foods

They feed the bad bacteria in your gut causing overgrowth that overwhelms the good bacteria and upsetting the bacterial balance, which in turn effects how well your microbiome functions.

3. Avoid Junk Food and Processed Foods

These “foods” have been altered and modified and are detrimental to the microbiome—they contain trans fats, additives, preservatives, GMO corn, GMO soy or industrial seed oils.

4. Avoid Preservatives and Artificial Ingredients

Lousy for your body, lousy for your microbiome. ‘Nuff said!

5. Avoid Gluten

This is a compound protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and some other grains, as well as in soy sauce, seitan, beer, and many packaged and processed foods. For many people, gluten is irritating to the gut, triggering the immune system to fight back by launching an inflammatory response.

6. Avoid Conventionally Farmed Meat, Poultry, Dairy Products, and Eggs

The majority of them contain antibiotics and hormones, and the animals were likely raised on genetically modified corn or soy feed, none of which support the health of your microbiome.

7. Avoid Pharmaceutical Antibiotics (if Possible)

We do sometimes need them, but pharmaceutical antibiotics kill indiscriminately, wiping out bacteria, both good and bad. Use herbal “antibiotics” (anti-microbial herbs) whenever possible, as they seem to kill the unfriendly bacteria while leaving the good guys alone.

8. Avoid Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPI’s)

Research has shown that people who regularly take these acid blocking drugs, (such as Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec and Aciphex), have less microbial diversity, putting them at increased risk for infections.

9. Avoid Artificial Sweeteners

Not only do they disrupt your microbiome, but they also trigger cravings—setting off a vicious cycle for those trying to avoid sweets.

10. Add Fermented Foods to Your Diet

Incorporate regularly—a few servings a week of sauerkraut, kefir (fermented milk), kimchee (Korean fermented cabbage), or fermented vegetables. Fermented foods contain natural bacteria that also protect your microbiome.

11. Incorporate Prebiotics Into Your Diet

Prebiotics are foods that contain the fiber on which friendly bacteria feed, including tomatoes, garlic, onions, radishes, leeks, asparagus, and Jerusalem artichokes.

12. Eat the Stalks

These tough parts of veggies, like the stalks of broccoli, the bottoms of asparagus and the stringy bits of celery contain cellulose fibers, which the good bacteria feed on.

13. Buy Your Produce From a Farm Stand

Produce from a local farm (as opposed to a supermarket), probably has travelled a shorter distance and has more nutrients and dirt on it (and therefore bacteria).

14. Take a Daily Probiotic

This is a capsule or powder containing friendly bacteria that can replenish your own microbiome. Taking a probiotic is especially important if you are taking antibiotics.

15. Get a Water Filter

Although chlorination of municipal tap water may have been successful at eliminating water borne diseases, it is probably negatively affecting good bacteria too. Chlorine in tap water is known to kill microbes in soil. The chances are, its killing microbes in your gut too.

16. Move and Meditate!

Meditation and exercise are wonderfully healthy ways to help decompress and blow off steam, so gift your body with regular doses of both. Developing a yoga practice takes care of both.

17. Sleep Well!

Another essential habit: getting enough restorative sleep. Your gut, your body, and your brain need rest to repair and refresh themselves, so indulge in a regular 7-8 hour nightly session!

To read more on how to keep your microbiome on an even keel and support your gut health, check out 10 Tips for a Happy Healthy Belly.

Originally published at Dr. Frank Lipman.

June 28 2016

Supplement Smarts: The 4 Key Supplements to Take Every Day

Dr. Frank Lipman Lipman Health, Solutions 0

Supplements – in my book, they’re essential health-boosters that can help fill in nutritional gaps and protect your body against the occasional diet slip-up. While they won’t make up for a bad diet, think of supplements as your nutritional pit crew, standing at the ready to make those quick adjustments, tweaks and fixes to your internal engines and get you back out on the road, raring to go.

Fact of the matter is, with so much of our food grown in soil that’s depleted of nutrients, it’s tough to get the necessary nutrition from food alone. Furthermore, if your meal features foods that have been genetically modified, sprayed with pesticides, processed, packaged and trucked long distances, most of the nutritional value has been lost by the time it hits your plate. So our bodies wind up being overfed with empty calories – and starved of nutrients.

While I recommend everyone should eat whole, preferably organic foods or from farmers’ markets, I also believe that supplements are important as well. So where to start? Here’s my list of supplement superstars that just about everyone can benefit from – and the vita-must-haves that do wonders and help make wellness sustainable. I’ve broken my favorites into three groups, so you can discover the supplements that best suit your needs. They are:

The Everyday Fab Four – the four basic supplements that are the cornerstone of good health.
The Supportive Six – the six ‘problem solver’ supplements, that are there when you need them.
The Fascinating Five – my five favorite supplements you may not be familiar with – but should be!

The Everyday Fab Four

At minimum, I recommend taking these 4 supplements every day: a multivitamin, vitamin D3, fish oil and a probiotic. Why? Because the Fab Four covers a lot of health bases. Together, they can help keep your gut and insulin levels on an even keel, keep energy levels high and even help reduce cancer and heart disease risk.

1. Multivitamin

We have a huge need for protective, health-supporting nutrients to help us combat the daily assault of living in a polluted and stressful world. It’s also why I put a good multivitamin at the top of my “vita-must” list. Think of a multivitamin as a little insurance policy to help protect your body against the vitamin and mineral shortfalls that can occur even in diets that are rich in healthy foods. By gifting your body with a multi, you’ll also be optimizing cellular function, which helps make all your systems work consistently at their peak, instead of sputtering through the day.

Be Well Tip:

When buying, look for multis in capsule form with an easily absorbed enteric coating versus harder-to-digest tablet versions.
Always take your multi with food to assist with absorption and prevent the queasiness that can sometimes occur on an empty stomach.
If you’re on medications, review your multi’s contents with your doc to make sure there aren’t any contraindications.
As there is currently little regulation of supplements in the US, be sure to buy from a reputable company.

2. Vitamin D3

Vitamin D, actually a pre-hormone and not a vitamin, is like the office busy body – it’s involved in just about everything – playing an essential role in the making of hundreds of disease-preventing proteins and enzymes, and affecting more than 2,000 genes in the body. It enhances muscle strength, builds bone, has anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects and bolsters the immune system. Come up perpetually short and over time, you could be leaving your body vulnerable to scourges like heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Here’s the tricky part: it’s virtually impossible to get adequate amounts of vitamin D from food, so you have to get it from supplements and sun exposure.

Be Well Tip:

Generally 2,000 – 4,000 IU of vitamin D3 is a typical maintenance dose, but if your levels are low, you may need more – but don’t DIY it or guess your appropriate dose. Have your levels checked by your doc at your annual physical to determine your needs. Here is the Vitamin D3 (2000) that we use often with patients as a maintenance dose.
Ideally, your levels should be in the optimal range of 50 to 80 ng/ml.

3. Fish Oils

Fish oil supplements are rich in the essential omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which are vital to good health. They support your body’s ability to prevent chronic diseases and help protect it against inflammation. They also promote a stronger immune system; cardiovascular, joint and vision health; strengthen skin, hair, and nails; and enhance nutrient absorption, metabolic function as well as attention, mood and memory skills. In short, fish oil is seriously good stuff, but as with Vitamin D, you can’t make your own omega-3 fatty acids, so you’ve got to get it from outside sources. Fatty fish and fish oil supplements are your best sources – so I urge everyone to indulge!

Be Well Tip:

I recommend a dosage of 2 to 3 g of EPA and DHA (combined) daily, but make sure you choose a good quality fish oil to ensure purity and the removal of heavy metals, pesticides, PCB’s and other contaminants.

4. Probiotics

Probiotics are the naturally occurring “good” bacteria that live in your gut and play a significant role in your total wellness. When you’re healthy, your intestinal tract hosts a battalion of more than 100 trillion friendly bacteria, who spend their days aiding digestion, boosting your immune system and consuming bad bacteria. They manufacture key nutrients and limit the growth of yeast and unhealthy bacteria – and in their spare time, they also help inhibit bouts of lactose intolerance, poor digestion and diarrhea. But as strong as your belly battalion might be, poor diet, stress, pollution and antibiotic use can wipe out the good guys – so it’s up to you to fortify and repopulate your gut with healthy bacteria – which is where probiotics come in. A daily dose of probiotics is a fantastic way to swiftly and significantly improve digestion and strengthen immunity – no prescription required!

Be Well Tip:

Look for probiotic capsules or powders with the two most common and effective beneficial bacteria, Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria.
The daily dose for both should be 10-30 billion viable or “live” units of bacteria a day.
Side effects are rare, although some people may initially experience some gas and bloating, which usually subsides within a few days.

If you’re looking for an easy way to get these four supplements at once, the Be Well Daily Dose includes a multivitamin, fish oil, vitamin D and probiotic.