In this week’s webinar, Dr. Klaper, Dr. Miller, and Dr. Marbas answer a series of questions asked by the live audience on all topics related to medical conditions, plant based nutrition, and lifestyle medicine.
Questions Answered
- (08:01)
– What are your thoughts on the risk-benefits of colonoscopies? - (11:58)
– My mother has hemochromatosis. What can I say to her to open her up to the possibility of plant-based eating? - (15:35)
– Thermogram versus mammogram for breast evaluation? - (18:15)
– I'm hypothyroid. My nails are very thin, break easily. Could this be related to the hypothyroidism? - (22:35)
– Which foods would you prioritize for cancer recovery? - (28:57)
– How can I solve a weight-loss plateau? - (33:08)
– Regarding B12, should I use cyanocobalamin or the methyl?
Complete Transcript
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(00:03)
Okay, so it looks like we're finally live on Facebook. Dr. Klaper is joining us. They were every Thursday Lives, that we're moving to every second and fourth Thursday of the month. And if that Thursday happens to fall on a holiday, we'll just skip it. We're going to limit these to maybe 30 to 40 minutes, just because of time crunches and schedules and holidays. So we do appreciate you guys being here, but we want to make sure that we're providing really useful information. So Dr. Miller and Dr. Klaper are here to join us today. So thanks for joining us and Dr. Klaper, you had a really interesting topic of conversation. You want to go ahead and get us started?
Dr. Michael Klaper
(00:48)
Well, I was marveling at all the different kinds of people who come to us seeking some medical reflection, and it's often… Common questions that come up. Some have a troublesome symptom… I've been having headaches, should I see a neurologist? I think I feel a lump, should I go see my primary care doc or a surgeon? And also screening issues, how often should I get a mammogram? How often should I get a colonoscopy, and these are important questions. And there's always important information that we need to make a better call as far as what kind of advice we give. But given the wide range of screening tests these days for colon cancers, et cetera, I thought we would talk about screening tests and which ones are worthwhile, and which ones…
Dr. Michael Klaper
(01:54)
Does a plant based diet give you any protection against some of these diseases? Does a woman with absolutely no family history of any breast related anything, no lumps, no mammograms, no family history, no one in her family has it. She's been plant based for 30 years, never really had any issues with her breast. Does this woman need a mammogram year after, year after year, all through her forties and fifties, given that she's on a low estrogen diet, no dairy, et cetera. Interesting question.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(02:32)
A man with absolutely no family history of colon cancer, a plant based diet for 30 years, does this man need a colonoscopy every year? Is his risk the same as a guy, eating pork sausages and cheeseburgers every day. So there some nuances here that I always work with my patients on, and rather than one size fits all, I felt we could talk about approaches to screening tests. And, I think Dr. Miller had really good examples, as far as headaches go. Well, headaches can be nothing more than the way your computer screen is set up there giving you a little neckache to oh my heavens, do I have a brain tumor? We could go through some of the screening procedures that we use, to determine whether things are serious or not. That's what was going through my head today. Hopefully there's something of value there.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(03:40)
No, I think that's fabulous. It's a really important question because people have a lot of different questions about that. So, Chris, did you have anything in particular you'd like to add maybe headaches or something else?
Dr. Chris Miller
(03:52)
I just want to say a little bit, that's a fabulous topic, and it is something that's so important that we [Inaudible 00:03:59] pretty much many years, not most of our patients. And I also like to bring up that I do a lot of screening tests on my patients, and sometimes they can be a little more expensive than what a regular doctor might do on annual. And as we know, when we check annual labs, basically they're normal for people, “normal”. And we want that. People will say… Oh, well, my labs are normal, nobody knows what's wrong with me. But we want those, those are big screening labs. They pick up gross abnormalities, when things are really wrong. So we want that to be normal, but now we want to delve deeper. And that's what we tend to look at.
Dr. Chris Miller
(04:34)
I've devised a panel, and we've been working together on this and certain labs that we think are more important. From checking micronutrient levels, to checking thyroid, breaking it down into each part of the thyroid, the T3, the T4, the antibodies, to looking at celiac for people with gut issues that just aren't getting better. We take it deeper. Even sometimes I look at people's microbiome, to see why they're so out of balance and we can't improve it when we're working so hard and diet and lifestyle. The screening tests are important because, by the time we do early prevention… So the test that Dr. Klaper was talking about is what's recommended by regular standard care medicine. And it's important to know that and to follow those guidelines or to be aware of that and to adapt it for each person.
Dr. Chris Miller
(05:18)
But we are talking about not early detection, because at that point, by the time you actually see a mass, see something, it's been developing cells for a long time, to be able to actually be picked up by the naked, visible eye. And so we want to screen it long before that. And that's our goal with helping people with prevention, and getting as healthy as possible, and even preventing it from ever becoming to that point. So that we do from the get-go those tests done, if you do do them, we're not going to find anything. So that's just to understand what we do a little bit more, so help people with a more diverse screening, and understanding and diving deeper into their health issues and having better outcomes.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(05:59)
Yes, absolutely better outcomes I think is really important. And I like that, we are talking about what is touted as screening tests or early detection basically. And so we want to take what we do a step before that. We want to go up river and say… When you do get those screening tests or early diagnostic tests, that we've done everything in our power to prevent the actual diagnosis like colon cancer or breast cancer, those types of things. So, I think it's important to also notice that it's an individual decision, and in discussion you should take on with, either us or your regular doctor, because there will be different specifics.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(06:39)
For example, my mother had breast cancer, her mother, and all of their sisters. Now, they were older than 60. We do not have BRCA genes. So, that's a personal decision that I'll need to weigh. Do I want to follow certain guidelines, such as women starting at 50 every other year? So there's the U.S. Preventive Task Force, they put those out. But then there's also American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and they recommend starting women at age 40 every year. Now where's the benefit? So, there's also harm and benefits. So when you do these early detection or screening test, it's really important to understand that there can be more harm than benefit.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(07:16)
So let's say a woman starts, screening at… And I'm not saying either way is right or wrong. I'm just pointing out some things that might something to be consider. If you start at age 40, and let's say, have typically more fibrous, more dense breasts as you get younger, and maybe they found something and then they said… Oh, we got to come in for another test. And then they say, Oh, we still can't tell. Now, we need to do a biopsy. And so a woman is waiting. They're going through these invasive procedures, after they start doing the biopsies. And let's say, it comes back to nothing. So, now there's all the anxiety, there's the stress, there's the potential for more harm, infection and all of these different things. So, just need to weigh those. What are your risk factors? What are the benefits?
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(08:01)
Again, that's a discussion that should be taken on an individual basis. That's my personal opinion on that. And that's certainly how I've taken it upon my own personal health. So Kip asked, “What are your thoughts on the risk-benefits of colonoscopies? I'm approaching 50 in a couple of years and had been whole food plant based, sugar, oil, salt free for the past few years”. So, any particular discussion or thoughts on colonoscopies?
Dr. Michael Klaper
(08:29)
Well, again, it depends, as you said, everything is on an individual basis. I would like to know, is there anybody vaguely related to whoever had a colon cancer or basically colon cancer and uncles, aunts, grandfathers, et cetera? If the answer is absolutely not, and she's never had anything, no rectal bleeding, nothing like this. She's been really plant based. And that she's had a colonoscopy in the past, within the past three years. And that was absolutely negative, no polyps, no inflammation, absolutely nothing, completely normal. Knowing what's available now, I would probably, if she wants to know, I would have her send off on these colon guard tests, looking for cancer DNA in the stool. If that comes back absolutely negative, I don't think she needs a colonoscopy at this time.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(09:39)
I'd have her repeat the colon guard test in another two years, and see what was cooking there. Again, tell her if there's any issues regarding blood in the stool, that of course changes things. If all she's passing along that colon wall, mostly smearing at with rice and beans and greens and not drinking alcohol, the odds of her sprouting out a colon cancer is really tiny here. So I think just looking for the cancer DNA would be sufficient screen for her at this time.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(10:19)
Sure. And I think also it depends on how long you've been on a plant based diet. What was your previous diet, your previous risk factors? Did you ever have a [Hemo clot 00:10:28] positive ever in the past? And so, family history is very important. Colonoscopies have risk factors as well, but colon cancer is on the rise, especially in our younger population and it's nothing to be dismissed either. So, Chris, did you have anything to say on that?
Dr. Chris Miller
(10:52)
I agree with both of you guys, that it's definitely an individual decision and it's nothing to be laughed at. What I would say is, we don't have data yet on plant based diets and colon cancer and not getting screened. So we don't know. We're doing our best guess as well as you are. And sure, nobody really wants the studies, and we want to believe that our plant based diet has fixed everything in us, and nobody's ever going to get sick or get cancer, but that's not the reality. People still do get stuff and we don't have data yet that supports that we don't need to get it just because we're plant based. So I weigh that in with my patients. I want them to be aware of that. So whatever they end up deciding, that we make the right decisions, even though we don't have the evidence. We're evidence-based physicians, that's how we practice. So we don't yet have that.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(11:41)
I think that's wise. I'll be 50 at the end of the month, and I think I will proceed even though I've been plant based… It'll be nine years in the spring. But my grandmother had colon cancer. So those are things running through my head too.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(11:58)
We have another question from Kathleen. It's a little bit different… Hi, thanks so much for providing this resource. I'm plant based and would love to see my mom who's I guess 63, who has a standard American, doesn't eat plant based. However, when I bring it up, she always stops me by saying she can't eat so many foods, I do like beans, spinach, kale, quinoa, et cetera, because it would make her sick because she has hemochromatosis. I literally have nothing to say to refute this because I don't know enough about it. What can I say to her to open her up to the possibility of plant based eating? Or is she right? She can't eat iron rich plant foods because she has hemochromatosis. I don't know if it's relevant to mention she was diagnosed about 20 years ago and been managed for numbers and need a healthy place for now about 15 years ago.” Well, any suggestions or thoughts on that, either one of you about the hemochromatosis, which is typically genetic mutation that leads to the iron overload in organs?
Dr. Michael Klaper
(12:53)
Well, of course, and the reason I'm smiling is that… Yes, iron rich foods are not this woman's friend, though if she's prudent in her choices, and if necessary, donates blood or at least have a phlebotomy done semi-frequently, she could certainly keep her iron stores down. But the correlate… Oh I can't eat spinach its got iron, so I'll have a nice ribbed steak instead. And the issue of course, is that the iron that's in animal products, the heme iron, what makes red meat red, and then chickens, all animals have this in their blood. This iron leaps into the bloodstream, the body cannot keep it out. It's so absorbable, that it is the poster child for iron overload, as opposed to the iron in the very spinach she doesn't want to eat because it's got iron. Actually that's the kind of iron, the non-heme iron, that her intestine lining can keep out, if there's too much iron around. Her intestines have something to say about that.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(14:03)
So actually the iron that's in plant foods are actually far safer for her. And so, whoever put this idea in her head about not eating these beans and spinach, really is doing her a disservice. She's sure fighting herself for no reason there. She would do much better with the plant sources of iron. Choose the lower iron veggies, that's absolutely fair enough. But as long as she's keeping track of the iron stores in her body with her ferritin levels and iron levels, et cetera, and gives blood when she needs to, she really has nothing to fear from a plant based diet. And actually for all sorts of other reasons, she'll do much better, including have less iron crashing into her system.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(14:48)
Exactly. So it's funny because we get these comments too like, “Oh, I'm anemic. I need to eat animal foods because I can't absorb more iron”, but then you have someone who's iron overload saying “I can't eat the plant because…” It's like the two spectrums here. I think it's just maybe an excuse not to want to eat your diet. So, that may actually be the conversation you need to have with her is, “If that wasn't an issue, would you eat a whole food plant based diet because it decreases risk for heart disease and diabetes and all these cancers?” So, that would be certainly a question. She said, “any recommendations for high plasma iron and low ferritin?” First, you need to find out why you have high plasma iron and low ferritin, because that could be an issue. The first suggestion would be actually get the testing and get your accurate diagnosis.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(15:35)
Another question from Penny asked, “Thermogram versus mammogram for breast evaluation?” As far as the research that I'm aware of, Thermogram does not displace Mammogram, because they're not accurate as a mammogram is. But that's the most recent research I've read. Either of you have heard anything or see anything other than that?
Dr. Chris Miller
(15:55)
Mammogram is where the data is right now supporting and thermograms don't have that yet. So, it can miss something. So, if you think you're having a negative, then we don't know that for sure with it.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(16:07)
Absolutely.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(16:09)
With the thermograms, if it's negative, you're not really sure it's negative. And if it's positive, you're going to wind up getting a mammogram. To answer the question, either way it's really not much value at all and it can really miss some important terrible things, absolutely.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(16:23)
Yeah, absolutely. And I think some people, especially in the vegan world say, “Hey, let's just do thermograms and not do the mammogram”, and I do disagree with that. So, exactly. So go get your mammograms. If you're choosing to view a new type of breast screening, mammogram is the place where it's at. That's our gold ticket-
Dr. Michael Klaper
(16:44)
I'm not a radiologist. First of all, we're not against mammogram technology. It works great. You've got an individual woman sitting in front of you with a breast lump. What is the nature of that lump? Absolutely, send her for mammogram. That's a valid use of the technology. It's whether we need to shoot x-rays through the breast of every woman in America, every year as a screening procedure, then that's a whole other issue. As I said, I'm not a radiologist, but now they're developing breast MRIs, where you can image the breast quite accurately, but without using any x-ray still. It's more expensive and time consuming, et cetera, but that technology is in the bag. And if a woman absolutely does not want to get… She's had a [sail 00:17:34] , a lump, or she's got a strong family history, but she does not want annual x-ray shot through breast tissue, she could make a good case to her doctor, “how about sending me for an MRI?” That's an acceptable alternative at this time.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(17:50)
Absolutely. I think that's definitely something. And ask your doctor, don't just assume that just the first thing they mention is your only option. Ask them say, “well, are there other options that are just as good with maybe a less radiation or less risk factors?” Open them to do the discussion. So I think that's really important, is the engagement between the doctor and the patient and in coming to an agreement together because I think both of you will be more satisfied, regardless of whatever the outcome is.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(18:15)
So, there's a question here. By the way, everyone who's watching on Facebook, please feel free to share this with your current feed on Facebook or with group. If you have a question and you're on Facebook, please go to the Plant Based TeleHealth page. That's where I'm actually monitoring. I can't monitor all the places people share. I've got like 30 different phones watching. So that would be helpful. And then we have people making questions on the webinars. So we have a question here. She says, “I'm hypothyroid. My nails are very thin, break easily. Could this be related to the hypothyroidism? Can I supplement with a vitamin? Thank you so much!” Either of you have a suggestion on brittle nails.
Dr. Chris Miller
(19:00)
Well, I would say with your hypothyroidism, I would be curious what your labs showed. What kind you have and what you were doing for treatment? Is it under control? Because yes, being hypothyroid itself can cause loss of hair, brittle hair, brittle nails or hyperthyroid, either one. So, we definitely see nail changes. So that would be number one to to get that under control. If the thyroid is actually burnt out, hypothyroid like Hashimoto's for example, an auto-immune type thyroid, then people need to be replacing with thyroid hormone. That's not something that people can go plant based and typically not need anything. Although people may need less medication and a few can get away with it. So, that's first of all, and then other, just make sure your nutrient status is optimal.
Dr. Chris Miller
(19:46)
So I always say like lots of green leafy vegetables, always, it's going to just send increased blood supply to everywhere, including your nail beds, right? So that they have the nutrients they need to reproduce. So green leafy vegetables, Omega-3 fatty acids from flax and chia seeds and then specialties, nutrients such as, make sure your iron levels are okay since we're talking about iron today, right? You don't want to be deficient. Make sure your zinc levels are okay. Zinc is important for nails, and your B vitamins are really important. Again, that's where the green leafy vegetables are so helpful if you're flooding. Things like biotin, which is B7, has been shown to be very helpful for nails and strengthening nails. And then with your thyroid, I'm thinking about your selenium, your iodine. So paying particular attention, maybe checking some of these labs or making sure you're on the appropriate amount of supplements and that you have an adequate diet.
Dr. Chris Miller
(20:35)
And then also, the thing that we sometimes forget to say, is remove the pro-inflammatory factors. So I see a lot of people with hair loss, and when I check labs, they often have low grade inflammation going on. And so we want to correct for that. So if you have low grade inflammation, that can also result in some of this. So, if you're still eating animal protein or, some of these processed oils or processed foods, these will contribute to inflammation, especially at the gut level, and the microbiome is going to send off different metabolites. These are little factors, but when we're correcting something like this, getting all that in check is sort of my approach to helping people with nail issues. So maybe some of that will be helpful for you.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(21:18)
Excellent. Dr.K?.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(21:21)
Nothing I can add to that. That was beautifully answered. You really touched all the basics there, and I couldn't agree more with the vitamins. Might be worth getting one bottle of a low potency multivitamin. Just to make sure it's got the RDAs of zinc, and Dr. Miller mentioned I believe Biotin, et cetera, and go through one bottle of everything. It takes a few weeks for the nutrients to get out to the base of the nail where the nail plate is actually made, but you want to see a stronger nail coming out.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(21:57)
If you've got little white spots on your nail, this common sign of zinc deficiency. But it's also a sign to what are you really eating. Are you living on energy drinks and granola bars? If you're not really eating really vegetables-rich diet, then you're opening the door to this kind of problem. So I think Dr. Miller's advice is really well done. If the multivitamins help, that's a sign to get your diet together but maybe take one once a week, twice a week at the most. It's not the answer, but just to give you a little insurance on the minerals there, I agree.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(22:35)
Absolutely. And here's an important question, kind of going to our screening questions here. She says, “my cousin was just diagnosed with breast cancer in September. She's having a double mastectomy tomorrow. And to my total shock has allowed me to cook for her-“,yay, “…and make a month's worth of meals, totally whole food plant based for her recovery.” That's a blessing… “This is amazing. She normally eats a standard American diet. My question is which foods would you prioritize in her diet these next months? And which specifically would you avoid? For example, I know no sugar, but does that include dates? What about whole grains, corn things like Ezekiel bread? My immediate thoughts are to prioritize organic cruciferous vegetables, berries, beans, leafy greens, broccoli, sprouts, micro green, spices, garlic, leeks, and onions.” And I think she's right on the cheque. But do either of you have any more specifics, especially mushrooms would be helpful to you, but anything in specifics or soy as well. Anything?
Dr. Michael Klaper
(23:32)
Her cousin is very lucky to have a cousin like this. Good for her, life opened up here. I wouldn't wish it on anybody, but it may be a kind of a blessing in disguise. Quite a price to pay, but I wish them both well. That's wonderful. She certainly knows the drill here, as far as all the right things, the veggies and sprouts and broccoli, et cetera, Ezekiel bread, lovely. The other thing of course, is to stay away from oils right now. So vegetable oils are not her friend. They tend to make cell membrane, a little unstable. That's the last thing your cousin needs. But she's already tuned into the sugar thing.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(24:11)
Dates, I think, are just fine. If you're making an oatmeal, tear up some date pieces and throw them in the oatmeal there, is absolutely fine as a sweetener to use. Let's see, make sure that you've got yellow vegetables, carrots, squash for the carotenoids as sweet potatoes, et cetera. But other than that, you've got to just got a great job. Oh and you need some healthy starches, you're quinoa, some of the grains would be nice for her and legumes, of course lentils et cetera. This writer's got the idea, and in regards no need to avoid soy. There's really is no reason to do that. Moderate amounts. Little edamame, or tempeh crumbled up into spaghetti sauce would be wonderful for her. She's lucky to have you and I wish you both well.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(25:04)
Absolutely. And the mushrooms also are nice aroma, taste and so those might be something to get to add into it. So with those [crosstalk 00:25:11] Go ahead, Chris, go ahead.
Dr. Chris Miller
(25:13)
For my cancer patients, I always refer to Dr. Fuhrman. He helped me so much learning about this. He talks a lot about the G-BOMBS and making sure you eat them every day. And I think that's really important. They're all scientifically proven to be helpful for cancer. So that's greens and you called it with your micro greens and your breakfast sprouts and kale and colors and all of those greens flooding your body with greens. So I have my patients do green smoothies, green juices, green salad, all day long breakfast, lunch, and dinners, get the greens in them because that really is strongly anti-cancer.
Dr. Chris Miller
(25:46)
So G-BOMBS. G is greens. B is your beans. All beans are good, including soy products. And I definitely recommend soy products a couple of days a week, the unprocessed soy. So Tempe tofu and edamame or soybeans, and then O is onions and garlic. So if you can eat some raw that's even better. So throwing in salad, salad dressings, but also cooking with it. Cut it first, chop it first. So you get the alliinase enzyme gets active and then throw that in. M is mushrooms like Dr. Marbas said, and that strongly anti-cancer, especially for breast cancer. All different types of mushrooms have been helpful. And you want to cook them just a little bit, because they have a chemical that can be toxic to your liver, if you eat them raw.
Dr. Chris Miller
(26:35)
The next B is berries. So eat some berries. You can buy them frozen, throw them in smoothies. You can buy fresh. And then S is seeds, especially I like to say, flax seeds and chia seeds, freshly ground flax and chia seeds daily. But also, a little pumpkin seeds, a little sunflower, high in vitamin E, high in zinc, high some of these minerals that we need as well. So I recommend GBOMBS to all of my patients, and you can read more about it at Dr. Fuhrman website, if you google GBOMBS Dr. Fuhrman. And then I also recommend a little bit of turmeric for my anti-cancer patients. So if you make a smoothie, throw a little bit at turmeric root in there, or add turmeric spice to your meals, that's strongly anti-cancer as well.
Dr. Chris Miller
(27:13)
And I always talk about spices again, strongly inflammatory and healing. So even just like Rosemary, Basil, Cinnamon, like all of those just spice up your food. That's helpful. And then finally help her with stress, because it's such a tough time and it's strongly pro-cancer to have a lot of stress. So I like to have patients after cancer listening to music. There's a lot of evidence that, that helps with pain, and more rapid healing and deep breathing. I work in deep breathing activities with them. Fun books, or cards for staying connected and all these things that really matter when we're on a strong cancer healing plan. So I wish her good luck. This will definitely be a strong boost having you there cooking for her. So she's very lucky.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(28:02)
All right… Go ahead.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(28:04)
Beautifully answered Chris once again. The only thing I can add, Dr. Fuhrman has been one of my most valued teachers. He's really just a great physician and academic. And so in that note, if you do a search on Dr. Fuhrman's anti-cancer soup, boy, it's really dark green, full of mushrooms, and all sorts of good anti-cancer foods there. So check out Dr. Fuhrman's anti-cancer soup. Follow the recipe. It's a good thing to add to your cousin's diet as well.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(28:35)
He also has a cancer PDF, that you can download. So I would google Dr. Joel Fuhrman's cancer PDF, and he talks specifically about certain things. Juicing and certain vegetables, and actually lists the science too behind him. So that would be helpful for her.
Dr. Chris Miller
(28:53)
He's got good recipes because you're looking for what to make. So that'll give you some ideas for where to go.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(28:57)
Okay. And moving on here. So there's a couple of questions regarding… I'm just going to kind of mix these together. Someone who hits a plateau with losing weight that looks like they've been on a plant based diet for some time, had lost some and then plateaued for a significant amount of weeks or months. Any suggestions from either of you regarding getting started again, besides movement. Anything in the diet that you would recommend or fasting anything in particular?
Dr. Michael Klaper
(29:29)
Look around the diet. Anything made of flour, stop eating it. Any vegan baked goods, breads, pastas even, for right now. All processed food and flour products are processed, for all sorts of reasons. Any hidden oils, again, you find it in your processed foods, baked foods, et cetera. If you're keeping your tummy just full of soups and salads, and greens and veggies, it's harder to hold weight up there, it's going to come off. It's usually the refined carbohydrates in some form. Oh, they look good, whole wheat pasta or vegan bread from the bakery here. But right now not your friend. But if you really just keep it really lean and clean for a couple of weeks, the laws of thermodynamics will work for you too, and you'll get on the scale and be a couple pounds lighter.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(30:28)
Weight is lost in a step line extension. It's not like every day, you've lost another half pound, half pound, and it doesn't work like that. Weight drops down your body senses. It kicks in mechanisms to keep you from disappearing. So you'll retain a little fluid and your thyroid hormone might slow down a little bit and you'll maintain that weight for a day or two or three, but you don't get discouraged and you go for a nice walk and you come back and go to your bathroom, you pee and you poop, you got on a scale of booming or pound or two lighter. And so it's in a stepwise stashing. It happens. So keeping those salads and soups and greens and veggies, keep on walking, and that weight will come off.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(31:08)
Excellent. I think that's great. One last question from Penny is B12. She's thinking, is this cyanocobalamin or the methyl? I only recommend methyl. If you have found you have the MTHFR actual mutation, you can certainly take methyl. It's just more expensive. The cyano is fine, but do either of you have preferences or recommendations for that?
Dr. Chris Miller
(31:32)
I do the same thing. If you can take either one, as long as we check your B12 and make sure that it's okay. So if it's okay, then that's fine, whatever you're taking. But if it's low or you haven't had it checked, I tend to recommend a supplement that happens to be methyl related, just to be safe. But it's either one if you methylated okay.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(31:53)
Yes. The cyanocobalamin is cheaper and stable and all that, and if this tiny microdose of cyanide doesn't bother you, that certainly work. But in six months, or in 12 months, get not only your B12 level checked, get your homocysteine level checked. And if that is rising, despite an adequate level of B12, then you're probably having trouble methylating and you should definitely go to the methylated element at that point. You don't need B12 every day, usually just a couple of times a week. When I hear people are taking a thousand micrograms every day, there's getting to be a couple of reports that it's probably not so great for cell stability there. So just a couple of times a week and let's see [inaudible 00:32:46] there B12, homocysteine. Nope, I think that's it. So go with cyanocobalamin, but check your homocysteine in six months. Make sure it's not going out.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(32:56)
Exactly. I think those are great. We are at our point here, so we appreciate everyone's questions and hanging out with us today. And so, we're looking forward to seeing you in two weeks at the same time, same place and any last final words from either Dr. Miller, Dr. Klaper?
Dr. Chris Miller
(33:14)
I would say, I hope you guys noticed that we're all wearing our Plant based TeleHealth shirts. So, we got our swag and we're very excited and proud to be part of this group. And we're so excited to have you guys part of us joining in. And so thank you to everyone for helping us grow this. We've been having so much fun working with you and getting to know you. So thank you for being here again today.
Dr. Laurie Marbas
(33:35)
Okay. Thank you guys. And again, you can find us at plantbasedteleHealth.com and we'd be happy to see you or any of those questions. So take care guys. Appreciate you.
Dr. Michael Klaper
(33:46)
Take care. [crosstalk 00:33:46] Bye, bye.
*Recorded on 10.08.2020