Dr. F. Ames Smith, Jr.

03/30/2025

I just attended a 4 day virtual conference that was all about menopause and perimenopause! This included talks about HRT (hormone replacement therapy), unrecognized symptoms of menopause, the importance of sleep for good health, pelvic floor issues of menopause, the importance of "gut health" and dietary changes that can promote this, relational issues that can arise if these transitions are not managed well, metabolic aspects of menopause, among many other important topics. This stage of life is an extremely important topic and very relevant to my practice. I'm getting to know experts coast to coast who will help inform my practice. The SoMeDocs platform will be helpful for me to take a deeper dive into many other topics as well. There will be another menopause course coming up, and this is well worth checking out. I will continue to post about anything that is helpful for my patients (thanks for your patience--I'm learning many things at the same time).

Here is a link for this conference that just ended, so you can see if you might want to attend the next one:

A virtual, live event, hosted by SoMeDocs, curating a lineup that helps us learn more about everything menopause.

02/15/2025

Proteins are essential building blocks for our bodies and we should pause and think about some important details. They are composed of intricate and often long chains of amino acids. There are nine essential amino acids, meaning that your body cannot produce them, and we rely on outside food sources to get them. Overall there are about twenty amino acids that your body uses to build all the proteins that you need. Primary sources of protein are from plants and animals. Too much protein is just as bad for you as too little. Not all proteins are the same, and ideally we should aim to eat proteins with high biological value. This simply refers to those proteins that have a wide mix of amino acids (including the essential amino acids) and that can also be absorbed easily. In general, animal proteins have higher biological value than plant proteins, but vegetarians can get the needed proteins by combining their foods carefully. High biological value protein sources include eggs (ovalbumin from eggs ranks #1), human milk, cow’s milk, fish, meat, nuts, quinoa, buckwheat, among others (do a Google search and you will find more). Part of lowering risk for cancer and promoting health is for us to pay more attention to the components we’re eating that can either help or set us back. Do your own research and happy eating. 😉

02/14/2025

When I was accepted to medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch (way back when) it was a happy day. My interest likely first began when I was treated for appendicitis in high school, when at one point my surgeon walked into the room with an entourage of surgical residents. It was wonderful and amazing to see them in action. In medical school, I felt strongly that the rubber hit the road and it was time to take a deep dive into learning. A good friend of mine who is now a cardiothoracic surgeon in Austin and I would frequently study at the library until midnight many nights. We read and studied this pathology book (pictured) cover to cover. Anatomy and pathology were my favorite topics, and I did an anatomy elective my senior year so I could master it. After medical school, I spent the next 6 years in surgical training (Baylor College of Medicine in Houston). Some of the rotations were 36 hours on (operating most of the time) and 12 hours off. By the end of my training, I had performed well over 1000 operations and I was ready to start a surgical practice (10 years after finishing college). Now I find myself becoming an avid student of medicine again. I am shifting from a surgical mindset that seeks to cure disease to more of an internist’s mindset that seeks to understand and prevent disease. I am actually going back through this textbook again along with a number of other books (by the way this book supports the validity of the Warburg effect).

02/13/2025

If switching from a primarily glucose energy substrate to ketones would improve our health and fitness (and potentially lower cancer risk), how would that look? Could we learn to think of food more as medicine and fuel, and accordingly start to question which foods will help us function and feel the best? In that case, we would need to make choices based on factors other than taste alone. We could actually decide whether to put mud or gasoline into our tank each day. A good friend of mine told me a number of times about the ketogenic approach for over a year but it didn’t click until very recently. I wasn’t motivated, and I’m probably not alone in that. We ask ourselves is it worth making a switch, and how hard would that be? Fortunately, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing, so I decided to tiptoe in. I discovered that it is indeed achievable, and not so bad. The outcome so far has been very favorable, and I’m eating some things intentionally that are really not my favorites (broccoli…) However, I can literally tell a difference, that my engine is running better. It’s not a mystery. Many of these things are packed with beneficial and even medicinal components. As a strategy, you could try to introduce some of these things a little at a time. Here are some wonderful carbs: spinach, onions, broccoli, bell peppers, mushrooms, artichoke, parsley, raspberries, blueberries (and many more)… We haven’t yet discussed the huge importance of quality proteins and fats, antioxidants, and other health promoters, but that is yet to come.

02/12/2025

Current US Dietary Guidelines recommend that 50% or more of our daily calories should be in the form of carbohydrates. However, if our intake is high in carbohydrates (especially refined forms), we can get spikes in our blood glucose levels that trigger insulin release (a fat storing hormone), and which also can “feed” cancer according to the metabolic theory of cancer. So, the author of this book asserts that the above noted percentage for daily carbs is too high. There is clearly a correlation between excessive sugar intake and weight gain (which also can be a risk factor for various cancers). So the actual culprit seems to be more the excessive dietary carbs rather than fats (although not all fats are the same). By limiting the carbs, and becoming selective in our choice of carbs, we may actually encourage an internal environment that is less welcoming for cancer cells. So which carbs should we prefer, and which ones should we perhaps limit somewhat? (Ref: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer)

02/11/2025

There are aspects of conventional medical wisdom that may be worth challenging or reconsidering, and certainly the topics raised in this book (Metabolic Approach to Cancer) are worthy of our attention in my opinion. My goal is to present these topics a little bit at a time as “food for thought,” rather than medical advice. To be clear, I do not consider myself in any way an expert in this subject matter, rather I’m on a steep learning curve along with many of you, and want to share as I go. I’m convinced we can do much better in lowering various cancer risks as well as being healthy by applying these things. For this reason, I will not be doing Q and A on this site for now (may change at some point). Pictured is one of the many food stands lining an airport I arrived in recently. It is no wonder to me that our population is in such health trouble, but we can make a change.

02/10/2025

Otto Warburg received a Nobel prize in 1931 for Physiology or Medicine. He discovered how cancer cells metabolize glucose differently than other living cells, in that their growth required less oxygen than normal cells to support rapid growth primarily through a process of fermentation. This process produced more lactic acid despite the presence of oxygen (aerobic glycolysis), and required glucose as an energy substrate. This is called the Warburg effect. The metabolic approach to cancer conceptualizes the idea that by shifting our primary energy substrate to ketones from glucose, we can literally starve the cancer cells. If true, this could help prevent cancer as well as support an affected person’s battle (reference: The Metabolic Approach to Cancer).

02/09/2025

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be referencing this book for much of my information. This was written by a woman who carries the diagnosis of stage IV ovarian cancer, which clearly got my attention. In medicine, we have to keep questioning and learning in order to get the best outcomes.

I encourage all of my patients to be self-advocates, which simply means you should ideally do your own research and reach your own conclusions. Also, always reach out if you think that could help. Over the next few weeks, we will walk through these encouraging things together.

02/08/2025

The food we eat has more of an impact on our health and cancer risk reduction than you might think. I’m reading about and learning all kinds of good things in this arena and hope to apply them and share with others. A basic goal of mine will be to include high quality proteins, healthy fats, and healthy carbs on a regular basis. Also, will avoid processed foods, fried foods, and simple sugars. Today’s breakfast is a good example. Will fill you in with details over time. Feel free to join me on this journey, and let’s see what happens.

10/09/2024

The Boise Hereditary Cancer Risk Clinic focuses on prevention, early diagnosis, and quality of life for those who have high genetic (or other) risk for cancer. Our mission is to encourage and build a community of practice in concert with local, regional, and national experts. We welcome you to the practice and community.

01/08/2024

I’m delighted to announce the relocation of my dedicated breast surgical and hereditary cancer risk management practice to Boise, Idaho.

I hope to open my physical office by March 1, and am available by telehealth currently for patients in Washington State and Idaho. I’m grateful for the opportunity to provide care in this setting, and look forward to this eagerly.

Physician Specialists Northwest is a breast cancer surgery and hereditary cancer screening and management practice serving the Inland Northwest region since 2022. Dr. F. Ames Smith Jr, an experienced breast cancer surgeon, founded this group with the purpose of bringing technical expertise and multi...