https://linktr.ee/plantbaseddrjules

Dr. Jules Cormier, 185 Acadie Avenue, Dieppe, NB (2025)

09/26/2025

Are you full of 💩 ?

Constipation is not just about being “full of crap.”

And treating it isn’t just about comfort.

It can affect your whole body, including your hormones, your long-term health and your risk of developing cancer.

And constipation doesn’t just mean not going to the bathroom.

Stool consistency and hardness matters, and some people can have bowel movements every day and still be constipated.

When your bowels move too slowly,
methane gas builds up in the gut.

More methane slows digestion even further, which creates a vicious cycle of constipation leading to methane, leading to even more constipation.

Slow transit also means that hormones your liver worked hard to get rid of can be reabsorbed back into your bloodstream.

Your liver actually processes many of your hormones, then excretes any excess in your bile, which is then released into your bowels for excretion via your stools, through a process called enterohepatic recirculation.

This prolonged hormone exposure through excessive enterohepatic recirculation can increase the risk of certain hormone-related cancers.

Constipation also puts extra stress on your bowel wall.

Over time, this raises the risk of diverticulosis and diverticulitis, as well as prolonged contact between toxins and your gut lining, which could raise the risk of colon cancer and autoimmune issues.

A fiber-poor diet and dehydration both starve your gut microbiome.

When the “good bacteria” run out of fuel, they start eating away at the protective mucin layer of the gut.

Once that layer is compromised, bacterial endotoxins, also called lipopolysaccharides, can slip into your circulation (sometimes called “leaky gut”), triggering inflammation and even autoimmunity.

So what can we do?

The best predictor of bowel health is a wide variety of plant fiber and enough of it.

Eating plenty of plant-based foods rich in fiber, polyphenols, vitamins, minerals, and other phytochemicals creates a healthier gut and prevents constipation.

And don’t forget the other lifestyle medicine pillars: regular movement, quality sleep, stress management, and strong social connections.

These all support your microbiome and keep your bowels healthy.

In short: constipation is not only bad for your bum, it’s bad for your microbiome, and poor microbiome health can ripple out and impact your whole body.

Chronic constipation can be associated with not only abdominal pain, but with increased risk of cancer and of life, threatening infections, like diverticulitis.

Drink your water, eat your plants, move your body and talk to your doctor if you’re full of p**p.

Treating constipation is not just about comfort.

It could also save your life.

Don’t live your life full of 💩

💚 Dr. Jules

09/24/2025

An Important Note to My Community

In the last 28 days, this page has reached over 1.8 million people.

That’s something I am proud of, but I also realize that not all of that attention has been for the right reasons.

My most recent post, which was meant to be educational, sparked a lot of debate.

And while 99.9% of people out there are genuinely kind, it only takes a small 0.1% to create a lot of noise.

With an audience this size, even a fraction of negativity can feel overwhelming.

Some of the comments went far beyond healthy disagreement.

They turned into personal attacks, arguments, and what I can only describe as “virtual fist fights.”

Out of respect for this community, I chose to delete those threads immediately.

I want to be clear: disagreement is welcome, but disrespect and bullying are not.

I started this page to share science-backed health information, support lifestyle medicine, and help people make small, realistic changes that lead to healthier lives.

Unfortunately, the reality is that many health professionals don’t share online for this exact reason: the hate can be exhausting.

Most of us are already working 50 to 60 hours a week and trying to be present for our families.

Spending what little time we have policing comment sections is simply not sustainable.

So, to those who were targeted by unkind comments, I am truly sorry.

I may not see every comment or be able to respond to every message, but I want you to know that this is meant to be a safe and respectful space.

If you ever see something harmful in the comments, please flag it for me.

My goal is simple: to build a community of people who want to move medicine forward, share knowledge, and lift each other up.

Let’s protect this space together and treat one another with respect, both in and outside the comment section.

Today, I received an overwhelming amount of hate and even threats for advocating for evidence-based health information.

Threatening someone if they don’t remove a post that doesn’t align with their ideology is unfortunately what this world has become.

And this makes me very sad.

For the rest of you, thank you for being here, for supporting the message, and for taking care of each other.

I will continue to share evidence-based content supported by major medical organizations.

If that’s not what you’re looking for, that’s ok.

I’m sure you’ll be able to find another space other than this one to direct your frustrations.

Peace and love.

💚 Dr. Jules

09/22/2025

Tylenol and Autism

Let’s Talk About Today’s Announcement

Today the Trump government announced that they found a link between Tylenol (acetaminophen) use during pregnancy and autism.

The FDA is even moving toward changing the safety label.

At first glance, this might sound alarming, but here’s why we need to pause, look at the science carefully, and avoid unnecessary fear, guilt, or blame.

The US government claims that observational studies show an association between frequent acetaminophen use during pregnancy and a higher risk of neurodevelopmental conditions like autism and ADHD.

The FDA has even started a process to change labeling and advising caution.

Importantly, experts in their own public statements emphasize that:
1. These are associations, not proof of causation.
2. Some studies show small increases in risk, others are inconclusive, and some show no effect at all.
3. Most of these studies are observational, which means they cannot rule out confounding factors like underlying illness, genetics, or the reason acetaminophen was used in the first place.

The evidence does say that there is no definitive proof that acetaminophen causes autism.

Causality has not been established.

There is no evidence that short-term or occasional use (such as treating a fever or relieving pain) is harmful. The potential signal, if real, seems linked to frequent or prolonged use.

The data do not support avoiding acetaminophen completely.

In fact, untreated high fever in pregnancy is dangerous and has been linked to serious risks: neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, oral clefts, stillbirth, and pre-term birth.

Telling a pregnant woman to “tough it out” through a high fever is not only irresponsible, it could directly harm both her and her baby.

Do autism rates appear higher today? Yes.

Some people use this news to reinforce the narrative that “something new” must be causing autism.

But what is often overlooked is that more than 100 different genes are involved in autism’s development, alongside multiple environmental factors.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is not a single disease but a broad neurodevelopmental variation with many presentations and rates of autism have risen partly because of better diagnostic tools, broader criteria, and greater awareness.

Conditions that were once diagnosed as separate are now recognized under one unified spectrum.

Wide-reaching announcements like today’s can cause more harm than good.

They create unnecessary anxiety and guilt in mothers who used Tylenol in past pregnancies.

They also discourage women from using a medication that may, in many cases, be the safest choice available.

Then, they confuse the public about what an “association” means compared with what actual cause-and-effect means.

They add to stigma by implying that a parent’s actions are solely to blame for their child’s condition, when in truth autism reflects complex biology and genetics far beyond any single exposure.

Autism is not a disease to be “cured.” It is a neurodevelopmental difference.

People with autism experience the world, relationships, and sensory input in ways that are different, not lesser.

When we reduce autism to something to blame on a single medication, we diminish the dignity and lived experience of autistic individuals and their families.

First, conspiracy theorists falsely linked autism to vaccines.

When that narrative was scientifically dismantled, attention shifted to other well-established, safe medications like Tylenol.

This cycle repeats: whenever one myth falls, another rises.

But the result is always the same: fear, guilt, and misinformation that harm more than they help.

Here’s where we agree: more research is needed.

Some higher-quality studies suggest associations, but when designs improve (such as sibling comparison studies), the signal gets weaker.

Medical organizations around the world still consider acetaminophen one of the safest over-the-counter options for pregnant women, especially compared with the risks of untreated fever or pain.

If you are pregnant, do not panic if you used Tylenol in the past.

If you need it now, use it at the lowest effective dose, for the shortest duration possible.

Discuss with your healthcare provider when medication is necessary and when alternatives might help.

Remember: untreated severe fever in pregnancy is far riskier than occasional, medically guided use of Tylenol.

Autism is far too complex to blame on a single medication.

Making sweeping announcements without clear causation risks doing irreversible damage to public trust and maternal health.

Let’s use this moment to promote awareness and compassion, not shame and fear.

💚 Dr. Jules

09/22/2025

Menopause represents a profound biological transition that affects millions of women, yet most enter this phase with more questions than answers. In this comprehensive two-part exploration, we break down what's actually happening in your body during perimenopause and menopause, and why symptoms like hot flashes, brain fog, mood swings, and weight gain aren't just things you need to "tough out."

The hormonal rollercoaster of menopause affects nearly every system in your body, from temperature regulation to mood, bone density, and cardiovascular health. As estrogen and progesterone production declines, the hypothalamus (your brain's thermostat) struggles to regulate body temperature, leading to those notorious hot flashes and night sweats. Sleep becomes disrupted as melatonin and serotonin levels fluctuate, creating a vicious cycle where poor sleep increases stress hormones that further worsen symptoms.

Beyond the immediate discomfort, menopause brings significant long-term health considerations. Post-menopausal women face increased risks of cardiovascular disease, accelerated bone loss, metabolic dysfunction, and even cognitive decline. But these changes aren't inevitable sentences, they're biological processes we can influence through both medical approaches and lifestyle modifications.

Modern hormone replacement therapy is much safer than many believe, especially when started before age 60. The six pillars of lifestyle medicine, nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, stress management, avoiding risky substances, and social connection,provide powerful tools for managing symptoms and protecting long-term health. A plant-predominant diet rich in phytoestrogens, combined with regular resistance training and stress reduction techniques, creates a foundation for thriving through this transition.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2209894/episodes/17450836

09/21/2025

This morning I had the honor of advocating for lifestyle medicine at the New Brunswick Urology Meeting.

I was invited to speak about how lifestyle interventions can help prevent, reverse, and sometimes even cure chronic disease.

In front of a room filled with oncologists, urologists, nurses, and other health care professionals, I shared a message that has shaped my own practice and my own life.

When I was first approached by the organizer, he told me: “We want to talk about preventive medicine, but we don’t want someone to try to sell us a salad.”

That phrase became the title of my talk: “Don’t Just Sell Me a Salad.”

It was fitting, because so many people equate healthy eating with salads, or health in general with perfection, supplements, fads, or biohacks.

The truth is, you can absolutely eat a balanced, sustainable diet without salads or extremes.

The key is to create habits that minimize friction with your current life.

Tweaks, not total reinventions.

I encourage patients to add nourishing foods to their plates rather than focus only on removing foods.

Adding healthy foods to your plate tends to crowd out the less healthy ones.

We also discussed the blood work every adult in their 50s should have, and we looked at why doctors themselves often make poor patients: overworked, overstressed, and too often sacrificing their own health.

The physicians in the room shared honest insights about the challenge of helping patients change when we have only minutes together in the clinic.

Together we explored barriers, solutions, and practical ways to assess not just someone’s lifestyle habits, but also their readiness to change.

Because real progress requires both personal commitment from the patient and the doctor and systemic province-wide transformation.

As a family doctor and lifestyle medicine advocate, it was inspiring to see busy New Brunswick urologists carve out an hour of their schedule to talk about prevention, integrative care, and lifestyle.

Their engagement gave me hope that our province’s health care is moving in the right direction.

To all the urologists out there, bravo for your work.

And to all the patients under the care of urologists, know that these specialists, like many more, are working against the odds to provide you with evidence based preventative care in a system that hasn’t yet started to incentivize prevention.

But we are working our butts off to make that happen.

Thanks to all of you for working with us by sharing my work, so that those in power can notice this growing community advocating for lifestyle medicine and a healthcare system that prioritizes pro-active care instead of reactive care.

💚 Dr. Jules

09/20/2025

If there’s one thing I wish everyone would truly recognize, it’s that even a single small change can set off a chain of events that leads to positive outcomes you may never have thought possible.

There isn’t just one way to become healthy and well.

Scientific research shows that the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, sleep, stress management, exercise, social connection, and avoidance of risky substances, are deeply connected and constantly influence one another.

Take sleep and diet for example.

The way you eat can support or disrupt your sleep, while the quality of your sleep affects what and how much you eat the next day.

People who are sleep deprived often end up eating hundreds of extra calories and tend to crave foods that are high in calories but low in nutrients.

Exercise and nutrition also work hand in hand. People who move their bodies regularly often make healthier food choices, while those who eat well are properly fuelled to train harder, recover faster, and perform better.

Your diet even reaches into your gut.

Eating plenty of fiber-rich, antioxidant-packed foods helps good bacteria thrive in the microbiome. These healthy bacteria then produce short-chain fatty acids and other bioactive compounds that influence cravings, mood, concentration, mental health, and athletic performance.

Each of the lifestyle pillars impact your gut and your gut microbiome impacts all of them right back.

Managing stress is just as important.

Physical and psychological stress raise inflammation levels, which affect nearly every system in the body.

Keeping stress in check protects both organ function and overall health.

It may sound simple, but it’s powerful: sleep influences diet, diet influences sleep, exercise impacts both, and stress weaves through all of them.

Out of the six lifestyle medicine pillars, every small decision you make has the power to shape the next one, creating a ripple effect that can lift your health higher or bring it down.

💚 Dr. Jules

09/17/2025

😊 The Power of a Smile

A fascinating study from Wayne State University looked at old baseball cards and found something surprising: players who smiled in their photos lived, on average, seven years longer than those who did not.

Imagine that, a simple smile captured on cardboard predicting years of life.

It would be interesting to see this repeated across other sports, professions, or even in our own daily lives.

Most experts agree that what we radiate outward, our thoughts, our actions, our energy, matters deeply for our long-term health.

Your “diet” is not only the food you eat.

It is also the news you consume, the thoughts you replay in your head, the conversations you have with people around you, and the values you choose to live by.

Surround yourself with uplifting people, share even brief but genuine interactions (like with a cashier or a gas station attendant), and you literally change your brain chemistry.

Science shows that even looking at positive or negative images can activate the same parts of the brain linked with pain or pleasure.

The same principle applies to how you live: align your behaviors with your values, choose positivity where you can, and the outcome is not just better days, but potentially a longer, healthier life.

So today, ask yourself…

what kind of “diet” are you feeding your body and your mind?

🫶💚 Dr. Jules

09/15/2025

The scale's creeping up, but nothing about your diet or exercise has changed. Sound familiar? That frustrating weight gain after 40 isn't your imagination,it's biology. And while it may feel inevitable, science shows it's absolutely reversible.

Your body undergoes significant shifts after 40 that directly impact weight management. Estrogen and progesterone begin their gradual decline, changing how and where fat is stored, shifting from subcutaneous (under the skin) to visceral (around organs) storage. This redistribution not only changes your silhouette but increases inflammation and insulin resistance. Meanwhile, muscle mass naturally decreases by 2-7% per decade unless actively maintained, lowering your metabolic rate and making weight gain easier even without eating more. Add in the sleep disruption and increased stress common in midlife, and you've got a perfect storm for weight gain that has nothing to do with willpower or laziness.

The solution isn't found in restrictive diets or punishing exercise regimens. Instead, focus on evidence-based strategies that address these biological changes: prioritize resistance training to maintain muscle mass; emphasize high-volume, nutrient-dense foods like fiber-rich plants that keep you fuller longer with fewer calories; ensure adequate protein intake (1.2-1.6g/kg daily) to support muscle preservation; and implement stress management techniques to improve sleep quality and regulate hunger hormones. Remember, self-compassion isn't just nice, it's effective. Research shows women who approach weight management with kindness achieve better long-term results than those using harsh self-criticism as motivation.

This journey isn't about shrinking your body. It's about reclaiming your strength, energy, and metabolic health for decades to come. With the right strategies, you can feel strong and vibrant again at any age. Ready to transform your relationship with your changing body? Listen now to discover exactly how to work with, not against, your biology.

Listen here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2209894/episodes/17450610

09/14/2025

Meet my dog Fluffy.

She may be the most anxious dog you’ll ever meet, except if I’m playing guitar or piano.

That’s when she really seems to let loose.

If you haven’t met her before check out my stories where Fluffy is often featured.

09/14/2025

What if your antibiotic doesn’t work?

With school back in and the colder weather coming, there will be more people staying indoors and in close contact with each other.

This is when and where viral illnesses, like the common cold, thrive.

Picture this: a simple paper cut lands you in the ICU, or routine surgery feels as risky as skydiving without a parachute.

Sounds over the top?

Sadly, the World Health Organization warns this could be our future if we don’t act on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Doctors see cases of antibiotic resistance regularly now.

Antibiotic, or antimicrobial resistance (AMR), happens when bacteria evolve into drug-resistant ninjas.

The antibiotics that used to take them down? They just shrug them off.

💊 In 2024, millions of antibiotic prescriptions were written, and a large chunk of them weren’t even necessary.

Around 70 percent of antibiotics worldwide are used in livestock, not people.

That means your burger has probably been exposed to more antibiotics than you have this year.

For example, dairy cows receive so many antibiotics that we can identify them in the milk that we produce, and then identify these same antibiotics in the blood of humans that drink that milk.

Here’s what antibiotics can’t do:

• They don’t work for colds, the flu, most sore throats, or any viral infection.

• Taking them “just in case” is like spraying bug repellent on your sandwich. Not helpful, possibly harmful.

If resistance keeps rising, infections that are currently manageable could become life-threatening again.

Everyday medical care like joint replacements, C-sections, and chemotherapy would carry serious infection risks.

What you can do:

- Only take antibiotics if they’re prescribed by a healthcare professional.

- Ask your doctor if you truly need them.

- Finish the full course if you start one.

- Don’t share or reuse leftovers.

- Wash your hands, stay up to date on vaccines, and handle food safely.

- Support farms that raise animals without routine antibiotics.

- Reduce consumption of animal based products, especially red meat.

Antibiotics are one of the greatest achievements of modern medicine.

Let’s not waste them on the bacterial equivalent of a mosquito bite.

Use them wisely so they keep working when we really need them.

If you found this helpful, please share it.

The more people know, the better chance we have of slowing this sequel down, or better yet, cancelling it altogether.

Have you ever taken an antibiotic “just in case”?

Have you ever considered that while antibiotics save lives, they can also give life-threatening complications such as allergic reactions, Clostridium Colitis and gut microbiome disruption.

Take them only if you really need them.

💚 Dr. Jules

09/13/2025

Glycotoxins in Our Food?

Ever heard of glycotoxins?

They’re also called Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs), and they form in some of the foods we eat and are greatly influenced by how we cook them.

AGEs are found naturally in animal foods that are high in fat and protein.

When these foods are cooked with dry heat, like frying, broiling, roasting, or grilling, the AGE levels skyrocket.

For example, a serving of raw carrots contains around 10 KU (kilo Units) of AGEs, but just five minutes of frying bacon shoots that number up to almost 12000 KU.

No surprise that fried bacon, sausages, and other processed meats rank among the worst offenders. Steak and red meats also pack a heavy AGE punch.

Our kidneys can clear out some AGEs, but if we eat more than we can get rid of, they start to build up in the body.

As we get older, our ability to excrete them goes down.

Too many AGEs increase oxidative stress and inflammation, which are linked to diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, liver disease, and even premature aging.

This is also one of the mechanisms by which processed and red meats are thought to increase cancer risk.

These are not the super foods that online influencers claim them to be.

So what can you do?

• Fill more of your plate with whole, unprocessed plants like fruits, veggies, beans, and whole grains.

• Cut back on processed meats, red meats, and full-fat dairy.

• Use moist, lower-temperature cooking (think steaming, boiling, or stewing) more often than frying or broiling.

• Add a splash of acidic ingredients like lemon juice, tomato, or vinegar when you cook to help slow AGE formation.

One last thought.

I often hear people worry about heating food in plastic containers because of microplastics, but at the same time, they’re frying bacon every morning.

We have much stronger science showing that AGEs are more harmful than microplastics are dangerous and in a perfect world you would reduce your exposure to both.

If you really want to protect your health, start with what’s on your plate.

The goal is not to fear monger about AGEs.

These compounds are naturally present in the foods we eat, and much like breathing air or being exposed to the sun’s UV rays, we cannot avoid them completely.

But reducing our exposure does lower the risk of chronic disease.

Since AGEs drive inflammation, the solution is simple: eat more foods that grow from the ground, from a tree, or from a plant in a state as close as possible to the way Mother Nature created them.

💚 Dr. Jules

PMIDs:
20497781
17452738
14568004
11270668
15281050

Dr. Jules Cormier

09/26/2025

09/24/2025

09/22/2025

09/22/2025

09/21/2025

09/20/2025

09/17/2025

09/15/2025

09/14/2025

09/14/2025

09/13/2025

Address

Website

Alerts

Contact The Practice

Shortcuts

Share

Category