Leyla Weighs In

Leyla Weighs In: A Metabolic Approach to Heart Failure
August 2, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin delves into the rising prevalence of chronic heart failure and critiques conventional treatments. She emphasizes the importance of understanding heart failure as a condition marked by low cardiac energy and dysfunction. Leyla discusses the shortcomings of current dietary guidelines and the negative impact of statins on heart health. Highlighting the 'awesome foursome' proposed by Dr. Steven Sinatra—Coenzyme Q10, L-Carnitine, D-Ribose, and Magnesium—she explains how these supplements support mitochondrial function and improve heart energy. Leyla advocates for integrative and functional medicine approaches, which, coupled with lifestyle changes, offer promising improvements in managing heart failure without the side effects of standard medications.

Banish the Bloat: Leyla Weighs In with Tips and Insights
July 26, 2024
Registered dietitian nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses various reasons behind bloating and offers practical solutions. Leyla explains how factors like diet, stress, and lifestyle choices can lead to bloating and shares tips on mindful eating, hydration, and the types of food that can help or exacerbate the issue. She also covers the role of probiotics, the impact of certain medications, and the importance of exercise.

Leyla Weighs In: Vascular Vitality
July 19, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin explores the importance of the endothelial glycocalyx (EGX) in maintaining a healthy vascular system. Referencing an article by Dr. Jack Wolfson from the January 2024 issue of “Integrative Medicine: A Clinician's Journal,” Leyla discusses how the EGX functions as a smart barrier within the vascular system. She explains its role in delivering oxygen, nutrients, and removing waste from the body while protecting against bad cholesterol. Leyla emphasizes the significance of lifestyle choices, such as diet, exercise, and avoiding smoking, in supporting the EGX and overall heart health. Additionally, she reveals new scientific findings on certain nutritional supplements that aid in EGX maintenance.

Leyla Weighs In: IBS Treatment Strategies–Dietary Tips and Lifestyle Advice
July 12, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin details various diet therapies for managing Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), focusing on the Low FODMAP diet and gluten-free options. Leyla explains the types of IBS (constipation-predominant and diarrhea-predominant), and provides a detailed list of foods to eliminate and suitable alternatives. She emphasizes the importance of self-preparation of meals and identifies common dietary culprits that exacerbate IBS symptoms. The episode also covers the short-term nature of the FODMAP diet and the need for gradual reintroduction of foods, alongside the holistic approach of assessing supplements, medications, and lifestyle factors that contribute to IBS.

Leyla Weighs In: Exercise as a Drug-Free Longevity Pill
July 5, 2024
Turning Back the Clock on Aging Muscles. Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the incredible benefits of exercise for aging muscles and overall health. She highlights research showing that exercise can reprogram muscle fibers to a more youthful state, reduces the risk of chronic diseases, and improves general well-being. She delves into different types of exercises, such as strength training, swimming, walking, and HIIT, and underscores the importance of maintaining a balanced exercise routine. Additionally, she explores the critical role of adequate protein intake and the emerging science of myokines in muscle and whole-body health.

Leyla Weighs In: Testosterone and Cardiovascular Risks
June 28, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin discusses the epidemic of low testosterone in men and its associated health risks, referencing a systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. She explains the causes of low testosterone, including obesity, lifestyle factors, and certain medications like statins. Leyla also highlights the importance of lifestyle changes in managing chronic diseases and the global movement towards lifestyle medicine, underscored by the recent Doha Declaration advocating for lifestyle medicine as a transformative healthcare approach.

Leyla Weighs In: Preventing Cognitive Decline
June 21, 2024
The Connection Between Community, Mobility, Exercise, and Cognitive Health. Nutritionist Leyla Muedin weighs in on the impact of community, mobility and exercise on cognitive function and overall health. She reviews recent studies, including one from the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, highlighting how greater community and mobility can be associated with better cognitive function, and another study from the journal Aging Cell that demonstrates exercise’s beneficial effects on brain health at the cellular level in mice. Additionally, Leyla discusses the harmful effects of air pollution on brain health and the importance of a holistic approach, emphasizing both physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices to mitigate cognitive decline and improve well-being.

Leyla Weighs In: Are Your Favorite Foods Hiding Harmful Toxins?
June 14, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin explores the often overlooked topic of natural toxins in food. Drawing insights from the Integrative Medicine Journal, she discusses how plants protect themselves with chemical compounds that can pose health risks. She also delves into survey results from the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, revealing public awareness and concerns about these natural toxins compared to synthetic contaminants. The episode highlights the ongoing debate about the safety of consuming certain plant foods and the popularity of diets like the carnivore movement, which seek to avoid these natural plant compounds.

Leyla Weighs In: Unveiling the Microbiome Theory of Aging (Second in a Series)
June 7, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin delves into the Microbiome Theory of Aging as outlined in Dr. Ross Pelton's article from the Integrative Medicine Clinician's Journal. The series explores the connection between gut health, dysbiosis, and aging, highlighting the role of dietary fibers and polyphenols in feeding probiotic bacteria to produce beneficial postbiotic metabolites. It also discusses zonulin's role in intestinal permeability, the negative impacts of the standard American diet on microbiome health, and the importance of a diverse plant-based diet for nurturing a healthy microbiome. Additionally, the episode critiques the efficacy of commercial probiotics versus the benefits of postbiotics and introduces postbiotic metabolites as an emerging, effective approach to improving gut health and overall wellness.

Leyla Weighs In: Unveiling the Microbiome Theory of Aging (First in a Series)
May 31, 2024
Nutritionist Leyla Muedin details the Microbiome Theory of Aging (MTA) through a comprehensive article by Ross Pelton in Integrative Medicine, a Clinician's Journal. The theory suggests that dysbiosis, or microbial imbalance in the gut, causes health problems that can accelerate biological aging by increasing inflammation, zonulin levels, intestinal permeability (leaky gut), and triggering chronic diseases. The episode covers the roles of probiotics, postbiotics, and how lifestyle factors influence the aging process. Leyla also discusses causes of dysbiosis, including diet, antibiotics, and stress, and introduces the concept of postbiotic metabolites as key regulators of health. The importance of the gut-brain axis and the effect of stress on microbiome dysfunction are also highlighted. The talk aims to provide insight into how maintaining a healthy gut microbiome can influence aging and health, setting the stage for a deeper dive in the next episode.