A HEALTH AND WELLNESS EDUCATIONAL website
kshamica SICARD nimalasuriya MD MPH
MEDICAL DEGREE (MD) FROM CAHSU
RESIDENCY IN INTERNAL MEDICINE ATLANTA MEDICAL CENTER
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE & CHIEF, EMORY UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
MASTER’S DEGREE IN PUBLIC HEALTH NUTRITION AT THE PRESTIGIOUS USC SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
I am MD and an MPH degree in Preventive Medicine specializing in nutrition from the USC School of Medicine and I am a Charter Member of the American Nutrition Association
I have decades of experience in many fields including
functional medicine– the root cause analysis
holistic medicine -avoiding prescription medicine
vegan nutrition and vegan pregnancy-my personal experience for an inclusive diet
I have unique treatment programs of the microbiome by improving the health and diversity of the microbiome leading to improved physical and mental health
My diets are personalized genetic based anti-inflammatory diets
herbal products for health and wellness
management of micronutrient deficiencies
expert on holistic management of obesity
Nutrition is a Science: Nutrition in Medicine
There is a rich and evolving body of science illuminating nutrition’s impact on our health.
Nutrition is the core of our health and can help prevent and reverse disease.
Nutrition is Personal:
Our biology is unique, personalized genetic nutrition addressing the genetic component most powerfully taps our health potential.
Nutrition is Healthcare:
Nutrition belongs in the core of our healthcare culture and system. I believe all health professionals should be equipped and empowered to integrate nutrition into their work.
Nutrition is an Ecosystem:
Nutrition is an ecosystem of food growers and providers, scientists, academics, healthcare professionals, policymakers, philanthropists, corporations and more.
Nutrition is for Everyone:
Every person deserves access to healthy food and unbiased, science-based nutrition knowledge
Quotes I Love
E
xercise is king. Nutrition is queen. Put them together and you’ve got a kingdom.
Jack Lalanne
One should eat to live; not live to eat.
Socrates
Today more than 95% of all chronic disease is caused by food choice, toxic food ingredients, nutritional deficiencies, and lack of physical exercise.
Mike Ada
MY POSTS
GI-MAP
GI-MAP By Diagnostic Solutions Sign up free to order the GI-MAP test. One login for 30+ lab companies. Sign up free About the TestBiomarkersRelated Articles The GI-MAP (Gastrointestinal Microbial Assay Plus) test, offered by Diagnostic Solutions Laboratory, is a comprehensive stool test designed to assess the microbiome and detect gastrointestinal…
WHAT IS FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
Functional medicine is a personalized, systems-oriented approach to healthcare that aims to identify and address the root causes of disease, rather than just treating symptoms. It views the body as an interconnected system, not a collection of independent organs divided by specialties. This model integrates both conventional and alternative medical practices, and emphasizes lifestyle,…
Functional Medicine Labs to Test for Root Causes of Hyperglycemia Patients with hyperglycemia are often diagnosed incidentally through a routine wellness panel consisting of a complete blood count (CBC), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), and thyroid panel. These panels evaluate blood cells, blood sugar, electrolyte balance, and liver, kidney, and thyroid function.…
Skin anti-aging Ayurvedic Products
copy for article interesting reading do not follow without your physician’s approval The Elixir Of Youth: Proven Ayurvedic Herbs For Astounding Anti-Ageing Benefits https://www.netmeds.com/health-library/post/the-elixir-of-youth-proven-ayurvedic-herbs-for-astounding-anti-ageing-benefits January 29, 2024 Ever since the dawn of the 21st century, the concept of total healthcare has transformed to include, besides physical fitness, wholesome diets, mental wellness and…
Sucrose vs. Glucose vs. Fructose: What’s the Difference and Allulose
Sucrose, glucose, and fructose are three common types of sugar that are absorbed differently and have different effects on the body. Sucrose, glucose, and fructose are three types of sugar that contain the same number of calories gram for gram. They’re all found naturally in fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and…
LEAD EXPOSURE DAMAGE
Lead Exposure Might Cause More Deaths, IQ Loss Than Expected Article Information JAMA. 2023;330(14):1319. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.17824 Exposure to lead through sources such as contaminated food, soil, and paint might have contributed to 5.5 million adult cardiovascular disease deaths and 765 million lost IQ points among children younger than 5 years in 2019,…
ANTIBIOTICS ARE LIKE GOLD ?
! Antibiotics ‘Like Gold’ for Some, Driving Inappropriate Use October 16, 2023 1 Personal beliefs and healthcare system barriers contribute to inappropriate antibiotic use by patients, report researchers presenting results at the IDWeek 2023 Annual Meeting. Nonprescription antibiotic use includes accessing medication left over from a prior prescribed course, obtained from social…
Vegan and Veaganism –
What is veganism? Vegans follow a plant-based diet and avoid all animal-based foods such as meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, dairy, eggs, and honey. Many also refrain from buying animal-derived products (e.g., leather and reptile skin). Generally, veganism disavows anything involving animal exploitation, including the use of animals for entertainment and…
Hyaluronic Acid Suppository Improves Menopause Symptoms
September 2023 TOPLINE: Among women with genitourinary syndrome of menopause, 12 weeks of treatment with vaginal suppositories containing hyaluronic acid (HLA) reduces vulvovaginal symptoms, according to trial results presented at the 2023 Menopause Meeting. HLA may be a promising nonhormonal therapy for this condition, the researchers said. METHODOLOGY: https://b68cf49a2660daccc871b82678f0f60c.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-40/html/container.html TAKEAWAY: “…
Dietary Patterns, Foods, and Nutrients to Ameliorate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Scoping Review
first_page settings Order Article Reprints Open AccessReview Dietary Patterns, Foods, and Nutrients to Ameliorate Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Scoping Review by Sofía Montemayor 1,2, Silvia García 1,2,3, Margalida Monserrat-Mesquida 1,2,3, Josep A. Tur 1,2,3,* and Cristina Bouzas 1,2,3 1Research Group on Community Nutrition & Oxidative Stress, University of the Balearic Islands-IUNICS, 07122 Palma, Spain 2Health…
FRUIT VS FRUIT JUICE
Fruit vs. Fruit Juice: What’s the Difference? Drinking 100 percent fruit may juice sound like a healthy option, but it’s a far cry from eating the real deal—whole, fresh fruit. The sugar is fruit is In fact, new research finds that drinking just one glass of 100 percent fruit juice…
VITAMIN E
Fact Sheet for Health Professionals Have a question? Ask ODSJoin the ODS Email List Table of Contents This is a fact sheet intended for health professionals. For a reader-friendly overview of Vitamin E, see our consumer fact sheet on Vitamin E. Introduction Vitamin E is found naturally in some foods, added to others,…
THE SKINNY ON FATS
What you eat can affect your LDL (bad) cholesterol. Knowing which fats raise LDL cholesterol and which ones don’t can help you lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Your body naturally produces all the LDL cholesterol you need. Eating foods containing saturated and trans fats causes your body to…
MONOUNSATURATED FAT
based on a AMERICAN HEART ASSOCIATION publication Monounsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on your heart when eaten in moderation and when used to replace saturated fat and trans fat in your diet. For good health, the majority of the fats that you eat should be monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.…
CORONARY ARTERY IN YOUNG ADULTS AND NUTS
Association of nut consumption with CVD risk factors in young to middle-aged adults: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study So-Yun Yi 1, Lyn M Steffen 2, Xia Zhou 1, James M Shikany 3, David R Jacobs Jr 1 Affiliations expand Abstract Background and aims: Few studies have examined long-term associations of walnut, other nut, and no nut…
HEART RISK AND KETO-DIETS
Potential cardiovascular risk’ for some on keto-style diet ADD TOPIC TO EMAIL ALERTS NEW ORLEANS — Certain traditional risk factors including severe high cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension and smoking may increase CV risk among those following a low-carbohydrate, high-fat “keto-style diet,” a speaker reported here. In a population-based cohort study, regular…
RED YEAST RICE
Red Yeast Rice: What You Need To Know (based on the NIH march 2023) Many are taking Red Yeast Rice under the impression this is a safe product. It may lower your cholesterol but he adverse effects seem to be as much as Lovastatin since it contains the same compound…
HEALTHY AND OBESE
‘Metabolically Healthy Obesity’ Rising, but Still Uncommon March 9, 2023 Trends in the Prevalence of Metabolically Healthy Obesity Among US Adults, 1999-2018 Jiang-Shui Wang, MBBS1; Peng-Fei Xia, MBBS1; Meng-Nan Ma, MBBS1; et alYue Li, MBBS1; Ting-Ting Geng, PhD1; Yan-Bo Zhang, PhD1; Zhou-Zheng Tu, MBBS1; Limiao Jiang, PhD1; Li-Rong Zhou, MD2; Bing-Fei Zhang, MD2; Wen-Wei Tong, RN2; Zhilei Shan, PhD3; Gang Liu, PhD3; Kun Yang, MD2; An Pan, PhD1 Author Affiliations Article Information JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(3):e232145. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.2145 Key Points Question Has the prevalence of metabolically healthy obesity (MHO) changed among US adults in the past 20 years? Findings In this…
MIND DIET for Alzheimer’s
Diet Review: MIND Diet harvard nutrition website. 2023 March Finding yourself confused by the seemingly endless promotion of weight-loss strategies and diet plans? In this series, we take a look at some popular diets—and review the research behind them. What Is It? The Mediterranean-DASH Diet Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, or MIND…
FRYING FOOD AND CANCER
If you’re trying to lose weight, you may already be telling your waiter to hold the fries. Now there’s another health benefit you can reap: Cutting down on certain fried foods can also help you cut down on the amount of acrylamide you eat. That’s a good thing because high…
SAVE THE PLANET WITH A VEGAN DIET
A vegan diet is the least impactful on the climate compared to other popular diets, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study, which compared popular diets on both nutrition quality and environmental impact, also found that keto diet and paleo diet score among the…
Uncontrolled BP twice as likely in Black vs. white women with hypertension
Black women aged 20 to 50 years with hypertension are more than twice as likely to have uncontrolled BP compared with white women, independent of social determinants of health and modifiable health behaviors, researchers reported. In an analysis of more than 1,200 women who participated in the National Health and…
500 EXTRA STEPS
Fact checked byRichard Smith Source/Disclosures 500 extra steps per day could reduce cardiovascular risk for adults 70 years and older ( APPROX QUARTER MILE) For every 500 extra steps per day, or an additional one-quarter mile walked, adults aged 70 years or older could reduce risk for a CVD event…
Artificial Sweetener in Keto-Related Foods Tied to CV Risk
r Artificial Sweetener in Keto Foods Tied to Cardiovascular Risk (ERYTHRITOL) A multi-part study reports that erythritol — a sugar alcohol (polyol) increasingly used as an artificial sweetener that is also made in the body — is associated with risk of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and promotes clotting (thrombosis).…
COCOA BUTTER
Cocoa butter is a pure, stable fat that is probably best known for its presence in body and face lotions. However, it is also used in cooking, in both sweet and savory recipes. Cocoa butter, also called cacao butter, has the flavor and aroma of cocoa and is considered a…
BMJ EDITORIAL – HEALTHY LIFESTYLES FOR DEMENTIA PREVENTION
BMJ 2023; 380 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p117 (Published 25 January 2023)Cite this as: BMJ 2023;380:p117Linked ResearchAssociation between healthy lifestyle and memory decline in older adults An increasingly urgent public health priority Ageing is accompanied by a decline in several measures of cognitive function, such as memory, reasoning, and psychomotor speed. Differences in the rate of change in cognitive function…
THE VEGAN DIET, ETHOS, AFFECTS AND ADVICE
Cutting meat from one’s diet has become increasingly popular for a number of reasons, including health and environmental concerns. Vegan diets are characterized by the avoidance of animal products, including meat, eggs, and dairy. A vegan diet brings with it a unique set of nutritional and health considerations. The…
THE DEMENTIA GENES
Alzheimer’s genes: Are you at risk? Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Some genes increase your likelihood of developing the disease (risk genes). Others guarantee that you will develop a disease (deterministic genes) are rare. However, genetic risk factors are just one of the factors…
PREVENTING DEMENTIA- A ten year study with 29,000 people
Six Healthy Lifestyle Habits Linked to Slowed Memory Decline The study was published online January 25 in The BMJ. To investigate, the researchers conducted a longitudinal study, known as the China Cognition and Aging Study, that considered genetic risk as well as lifestyle factors. The study began in 2009 and concluded in 2019.…
BORON
Boron What is it? Boron is an element. Boron has been consumed for menstrual cramps and boric acid has been used vaginally for yeast infections, but evidence is limited. Boron seems to affect the way the body handles other minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. It also seems to…
KOTHALAHIMBUTU (Salacia reticulata)
KOTHALAHIMBUTU (Salacia reticulata) Salacia reticulata is a medicinal herb from Ayurveda Salacia is an herb that is native to India and Sri Lanka. The root and stem are used to make medicine.Salacia is used for diabetes, asthma, joint pain, weight loss, improving bowel movements and other conditions, but there is no good…
THE EFFECTS OF ADD-ON THERAPY OF PHYLLANTHUS EMBLICA (AMLA) ON LABORATORY CONFIRMED COVID-19 CASES: A RANDOMIZED, THE EFFECTS OF ADD-ON THERAPY OF AMLA ON COVID-19 CASES: A RECENT STUDY
The effects of add-on therapy of Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) on laboratory confirmed COVID-19 Cases: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial Complement Ther Med. 2022 May; 65: 102808. Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer Abstract Objective This randomized, double-blind, controlled trial (RCT) aimed to evaluate the effect of Phyllanthus Emblica (Amla) as an add-on therapy…
AMLA
a rEview of Amla Phyllanthus emblica – (Nelli/ Sri Lankan Gooseberry / Amla) Amla has its origins in the Hindi word for the amla fruit tree, which means “sour.” The tree, now known by its Latin names Emblica officinalis and Phyllanthus emblica, grows throughout India and Sri Lanka and bears sour-tasting fruits. In Sanskrit, Amla…
THE PRACTICE OF MINDFULNESS
BY THICH NHAT HANH| JANUARY 17, 2023 The late Thich Nhat Hanh taught these five mindfulness exercises to help you live with happiness and joy. Calligraphy by Thich Nhat Hanh. Purchase a print in the Lion’s Roar store. Our true home is not in the past. Our true home is not in…
NITRITES AND DIABETES
Eating more foods with nitrites or nitrates may increase risk for type 2 diabetes Adults who eat more foods that include added nitrites or nitrates have a higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than those exposed to fewer of these compounds, according to findings published in PLOS Medicine. Bernard Srour Mathilde Touvier “These results…
WHOLE-FOOD, PLANT BASED DIET. IS IT COMPLETE
How a Whole-Food, Plant-Based Diet Can Boost Your Health There’s excellent scientific evidence that many chronic diseases can be controlled, reduced, or even reversed by moving to a whole-food, plant-based diet. Scientific research highlighted in the landmark book The China Study shows that a plant-based diet can reduce the risk of Type…
PLANT VS VEGAN. by Forks over Knife
THE FIVE FOOD GROUPS Below is a quick overview of the major food categories you’ll enjoy on a plant-based diet, with examples. For a more detailed breakdown of what to eat on a WFPB diet, check out The Forks Over Knives Diet Explained. There are plenty of other foods you can also…
CONSTIPATION AND KIWI FRUIT
Daily consumption of two green kiwifruits may help relieve constipation Medha BaranwalPublished On 2 Jan 2023 6:30 AM New Zealand: Green kiwifruit or psyllium consumption could be a suitable dietary treatment for relieving constipation and associated gastrointestinal (GI) comfort, states a recent study published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology. “Our study…
CAN HEAVY METAL EXPOSURE HARM REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH?
Infertility, or failure to achieve clinical pregnancy after 1 year of unprotected intercourse, affects up to 15% of couples worldwide. Estimated US prevalence of women with impaired fertility has increased from 4.5 million in the early 1980s to ~7.7 million by 2025. Most women with infertility have reproductive or neuroendocrine…
COFFEE and CARDIAC DEATHS
Severe Hypertension + Drinking Two Or More Cups Of Coffee Per Day = Increases The Risk Of Cardiac Deaths Numerous studies have been conducted on the advantages of coffee consumption, however if a person has high blood pressure, they may want to limit their intake to one cup per day.…
WHAT INDIAN MEDICINE TEACHES ABOUT EATING WELL WITH DIABETES
What traditional Indian medicine teaches about eating well with diabetes August 02, 2022 Susan Weiner, MS, RDN, CDCES, FADCES, talks with Parul Kharod, MS, RD, LDN, about the ancient medical knowledge system known as Ayurveda and what it can reveal about living with diabetes. Weiner: What is Ayurveda and how does it apply to Indian…
GENETIC TESTING
a general overview This information is for general information only and may not apply to you. Also it gets out of date as medicine progresses. Please check with your provider prior to any action or concern. You must remember it is in general positive results are dealing with probabilities of…
WHAT ARE METS
What is a MET? You’re probably aware that your body burns energy all the time, no matter what you’re doing. One way to calculate your body’s energy expenditure is with metabolic equivalents, also known as METs. You might see METs listed on exercise equipment or mentioned by personal trainers to…
DIET AND HEART DISEASE. 2021
The current guidelines from the American Heart Association (AHA) focus on dietary interventions to reduce the risk for cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses. Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a lower risk for type 2 diabetes. In addition, the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet has been associated with…
Studies demonstrate health benefits of mangos, herbs, spices
Recent data suggest that mangos could help improve certain risk factors for chronic disease in patients who are overweight or obese, according to researchers. In addition, two other trials exploring how diet affects health revealed an association between herbs and spices and improvements in BP and cholesterol. All three studies…
Fermented Food and microbiome
Jul 12 2021 Email Tweet A fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity and lowers inflammation, Stanford study finds Stanford researchers discover that a 10-week diet high in fermented foods boosts microbiome diversity and improves immune responses.JUL 122021 Stanford researchers found that eating a diet high in fermented foods such as kimchi increases the…
COCONUT OIL AND CHOLESTEROL
There is a controversy regarding coconut oil since this is a saturated fat and saturated fats ( mainly animal fats but includes some vegetable fats which are called medium chain fatty acids one of which is commonly discussed is coconut oil.The American heart association does not recommend coconut oil in…
A KSHAMICAMD WEBSITE 