Real Nutrition MD

07/14/2024

06/29/2022

Now why should you be interested in serotonin? It's one of the main chemical messengers responsible for your happiness, that's why! 😁

Deficiency is the most common condition (excess is rare), and things affected are:
Memory 🧠
Mood 😠
Motivation ➕️
Sleep 😴
Digestion 🤮
Learning 🤓
Anxiety 😟
Sexual behavior 🍆🍑

Scientists still have a lot more to learn about its effects as studies show serotonin influence on wound healing 🩹 and bone health 🦴

Where do we get this feel good hormone? Our body makes it (our brain makes a little, but 90% is produced from the cells within our gut lining). Unfortunately, we can't ingest serotonin to raise our levels up. Age is a major factor in the slowing of production, but that doesn't mean that growing into an "old grumpy forgetful fat fart: is something we should accept 😂

Low serotonin level in clinically symptomatic patients is traditionally treated with prescription antidepressants like tricyclics and SSRI's. These are classes of drugs with much undesirable side effects and should be used as last line defenses and severe resistant cases (consult your medical professional). You can actually do a lot naturally get serotonin to wellness-promoting levels. How?

1) Nutrient-dense diet w/quality protein 🥩🍗🥦🥚🥜
2) 20-30min of daily physical movement 🤸‍♂️🏋‍♀️🚴🏃‍♂️

"Diet and exercise?!?! What a cop-out thing for all doctors to say! 🙄"

Solutions to improving health are almost always about as simple as they come. Like a lot of things, the basics are the things that are most important, yet they're also the most neglected. I don't want you to neglect your well-being so it bears repeating (which you know I do with just about every post 😬👍)

In wellness,
Harry

05/29/2022

It's common to wish for a long happy life. And with the advances of modern medicine the human life expectancy has doubled in the last century. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said with our HEALTH SPAN - that’s the time we’re alive and free of debilitating health issues. Although we’re living longer a majority of us are burdened by chronic conditions like:
cardiovascular disease 🫀
diabetes 🍫
joint pain 🦵
brain fog🧠
respiratory issues🫁
mental decline📉
generalized weakness..just to name a few.

And where’s the joy in living a long time if you’re going to be miserable? But aren’t these things beyond our control and just a part of normal aging? That’s a big “NO.”

In this episode I present the concept of adopting a PRESERVATION MINDSET - specifically, when it comes to physical activity. The most notable things that make us feel older is losing our ability to move through space and a decline in our cognition. We can’t maintain our wellness if we continue to approach exercise that’s focused primarily on muscle growth and strength.

As older adults, the focus should move from a state of growth to one of conserving what we have and preventing damage. Preservation is the key to staying sturdy and sharp so we can increase our health span to more closely match our lifespan.

's common to wish for a long happy life. And with the advances of modern medicine the human life exp...

03/24/2022

We all want to be healthier, and that should start with eating healthier. And I'm going to say you pretty much know how to do the basics.
✅️Pick nutrient dense foods
✅️Take in appropriate calories
✅️Maintain good hydration
✅️Do the above consistently

So why aren't we doing it? I'll argue that when it comes to picking our meals we value CHEAP and FAST more than we value QUALITY.

The NUTRITION TRADE-OFF TRIANGLE 🔺️ suggests that something will always be compromised.

"But can't we have it all?" I guess you could, but not really. What you'll end up with is a meal that's in the middle of the triangle - sorta cheap, sorta fast, sorta healthy. 🤷‍♂️

Yes, we definitely need to factor in cost, convenience, and ease when it comes to our everyday meals... we all have budgets and live busy lives. But if you lean too much towards cheap and fast, the quality and healthiness of your foods will be affected.

When it comes to healthy food it's all relative; there is never a perfect choice, just a better one. But try putting this concept into practice and it may help you with your food choices while maintaining the balance between cost/convenience/health 😁👍

12/03/2021

While drinking has shown in some studies to provide a few health benefits (if taken moderately), alcohol is by no means considered healthy. Especially during this time of year it can be a big part of our social gatherings, and that provides a type of nourishment that’s healthy for the soul... so it isn't all bad :)

So if you’re in the mood to partake in something festive, fun, and boozy check out this “secret” I use to minimize the caloric impact sweet holiday cocktails can have on our nutrition and wellness goals… CHEERS!

To health and balance,
Harry J. Cerezo
RealNutritionMD

drinking has shown in some studies to provide a few health benefits (if taken moderately), alcohol is by no means conside...

11/19/2021

SELF-DISCIPLINE... we all know it's the determining factor in achieving our health goals (or any life goal for that matter).

Unfortunately, there's no hack I can offer to create self-discipline.🧑‍🎓

It's an internal drive that's born from very powerful reasons that speak to your core. ❤

It's easy to know *WHAT* your goal is.✔

And with so many programs and protocols out there it's also easy to get the *HOW* spelled out for you.✔

But discipline only develops when your *WHY* is meaningful enough.
1️⃣ What's your "why"?
2️⃣ Is it powerful enough to drive action?

Sure, I can provide tools:
✅ guide you towards better decisions
✅ enforce consistent habits
✅ keep you accountable when motivation is low
✅ stress the benefits of delayed gratification

But there's no other way around it - having self-discipline has to come from within. 💯

09/24/2021

It’s the fall season, which means we're nearing the end of the year 🍁🍂 
Where are you with the health goals you resolved to do back in January? 🤷‍♂️

The unfortunate truth is that 90% of us haven’t seen any results 😭
It can be discouraging, but that doesn’t mean that you throw in the towel when it comes to the pursuit of improved health.  It’s a lifetime journey AND there’s still a lot you can do before the new year comes around!💪

Numerous causes for lack of results are out there, but what I consider the BIG 3 are:
1️⃣You’re too focused on making your GOOD THINGS better
2️⃣You suck at FUNDAMENTALS
3️⃣You don’t make HEALTH part of WHO YOU ARE

You can apply these concepts to lots of things in life…
Nutrition🥬🍖🥑
Exercise & fitness🏋️‍♂️🚴‍♂️
Finances💰💵💳
Hygiene & cleanliness🚿🧹
Relationships💞🤝
Mental wellness🧘‍♀️✌

Focus on improving the weaknesses we have (not on what we do well already), keeping things simple (instead of complex and exotic), and making healthy practices a state of being (not a temporary task)… and I can assure you’ll get results you can see and feel!☝️😁👍

07/10/2021

Microgreens are tiny plants with huge benefits! It’s been my latest addition to my daily meals!

What are they? They’re veggies that are in a relatively early stage in their lives. I like to describe them like this:
Sprouts = infants 👶
MICROGREENS = children 🧒
Baby greens = teens👧🧑
Mature plant = adults👨👩👵👴

You may have come across them as high-end garnish at fancy restaurants, but health researchers and medical scientists are realizing the powerful health promoting nutrients they can provide us.

Yes, they do taste like their mature versions… but it’s much more mild with a lot of the bitterness and toughness absent. This might be the thing that'll get picky eaters to have a change of heart when it comes to veggies! 🤞😁👍

Microgreens have been discovered to contain many-folds more nutrients and minerals than their full-grown counterparts, so you can say goodbye to supplementing with pills:
✅6x more vitamin C
✅45x more vitamin E
✅69x more vitamin K (69 dude! 🎸)

Where do you get microgreens? I personally got introduced to them at my local farmers' market (visit my friends Will & Kim Superhero Greens at Santana Row Farmers' Market)

Compared to its conventional adult counterparts, pricing is about the same based on serving-to-serving size. Take note that you don’t necessarily want to swap your salads out completely because these young plants lack fiber content.

So give microgreens a try and not only will your daily meals look way more elevated, your vitamin and mineral density of them will rise tremendously as well! 🌿☘🍀🌱🍃

Pictured:
1. Braised pork pasta w/AMARANTH
2. Chicken tikka masala w/BROCCOLI & SUNFLOWER
3. grilled chicken w/PEA & RADISH

06/20/2021

I’ve recently been accused of being part of the toxic “DIET CULTURE” and it’s a bad thing to promote being thinner. 😯

It’s concerning that the pursuit of health has to be so polarizing because it really doesn’t have to be. The human body is built to maintain a range of tolerances to stay in balance, and when it gets thrown off in one direction the solution is to go back the other way until we get back to that healthy range. 💯

The reason “DIET CULTURE” exists is because too many of us embrace (or are stuck in) the “OVERCONSUMPTION CULTURE”. The biggest paradox is that both these cultures persist because we chronically alternate between the two. Why? Not many people seem to enjoy eating moderately for some reason 🤷‍♂️. It’s tough to buy into that concept when the other cultures are so glorified. 😔

Excess of anything (dieting or consumption) doesn’t create balance. If you live in the US, it’s not difficult to see what people value more. And that’s why I feel that encouraging people away from overconsumption will better serve the community’s health, morbidity, and mortality stats. 👨‍⚕️❤🙏

Just set nutritional goals that promote wellness:
✅appropriate calories required for your requirements
✅nutrient-dense foods that optimize physical and mental function
✅healthful connection to food and its purpose

So when we reach that happy place, let's aim to promote and live in the “BALANCE CULTURE”! ⚖

04/17/2021

Different foods provide different amounts and types of key nutrients, so it's important to choose a variety of foods within each macronutrient group (protein, fats, carbs).

Mixing it up is fun and keeps things interesting (in the kitchen, the gym, or other rooms in the house 😉🤭) but it takes some work to keep that spark alive. Sometimes in order to make sure it happens you have to mark it on the calendar like you do other important things in your life 🗓

That's why I'm sharing an approach I use to make sure dinners don't get monotonous. It's not grammatically correct but really helps answer the question "what's for dinner?" And we all know how long we can struggle and even argue with others about figuring it out! 🤔🤬

I apply this whether I'm eating at maintenance ⚖ or eating with a specific goal in mind 🎯🏆 Maybe it can help you diversify your plates! 😁👍

(pictured)
🥩MEATY MONDAY - garlic herb steak + balsamic field salad with sunflower seeds
🍗CHICKEN CHUESDAY - mushroom rosemary chicken + mixed greens
🥬VEGGIE VEDNESDAY - lettuce wrap using plant-based meat cooked Korean-style + ginger fried rice
🌊THEAFOOD THURSDAY - shrimp fajitas with flour tortillas
🎤FREESTYLE FRIDAY - open to any of the above

04/08/2021

There are many reasons we can't get of excess fat, but it definitely is NOT because it's stubborn. Fat is fuel, and guess what...
👏FUEL👏LIKES👏TO👏BE👏BURNED👏

The question is, "Are you putting your body in a position to get to that fuel?"

Eating healthy nutritious foods is great, but that doesn't necessarily get you to access the stored fat (that way of eating should be happening whether you're trying to lose weight or not).

Without getting too complex and diving into hormone dynamics, biochemistry of fat metabolism, etc... the most important factor in mobilizing fat so we can use it as fuel is to BE IN A NEGATIVE ENERGY BALANCE. ⚖

If you're not doing that AND doing it consistently so the process can do its thing, you're not giving that excess fat any reason to leave.

Hopefully my analogy helps explain that (inspired by the remembrance of the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020)
😁🧻😁🧻😁🧻😁

03/23/2021

What's this fasting hype about?

Fasts are nothing new. It's recently been touted as something that's super magical, claiming it's the answer to:
✅Weight loss
✅Fixing metabolic issues
✅Lowering blood sugar
✅Lessening inflammation
✅Clearing toxins
✅Removing damaged cells
✅Lowering risk for certain cancers
✅Enhancing brain function

With a list like that AND a growing number of studies suggesting its legitimacy, it does seem like we all need to jump on that train. But is it for you?

I don't know, but I encourage you to give it a try. Most North Americans tend to eat around the clock which isn't really necessary (barring other medical factors). As long as what you put in your mouth when you're not fasting is nutrient dense, minimally processed, and has the appropriate amount of calories to fuel your body's needs... really any diet approach will work.

Fasting can be beneficial, but it certainly isn't required to be healthy. Consistency and sustainability rules over anything else when it comes to balanced healthy eating habits so find what works for you👍

03/12/2021

WELCOME! Stay a while and explore a bit! 👇

To health and balance,Harry J. CerezoRealNutritionMDINSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/realnutritionmd/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/RealNutritionMD**...

03/11/2021

Listen to your body - it has tons of insight about what your current eating habits are doing to it.

Putting taste & enjoyment as the main purpose of eating without noticing how your body is responding - weight gain, digestive issues, moodiness, slow healing, poor sleep, brain fog, anxiety, depression, skin flare ups, etc...

Well that's like putting acceleration & speed as the main purpose of driving and ignoring the smoke coming out of the exhaust, steam out of the hood, leakage spilling onto the road, warning lights on your dashboard, the clunking noise from the rear tire, etc...

A lot of health issues don't suddenly hit us, and we don't always need a doctor to tell us what's wrong. Listen closely and you can catch things, then change things, and they won't elevate into serious things!
👂🧠👁👃🦶🦴👍

03/04/2021

CHEESEBURGER BITES (with recipe) 🍔

Plant-based meats (PBMs) have become all the rage. I like this alternative because it can promote sustainability to Mother Earth and reduce overconsumption of animals. It also allows those who live vegan/vegetarian lifestyles the choice to experience something that really does rival the real thing in many ways.

But if you're swapping the traditional ground beef because you've been told that it's better for your health... sorry, it's not. 😯

Nutritionally speaking, PBMs don't fare any better; they're similar calories, fat, and protein content. And they're by no means natural whole foods - they're highly processed due from the science required to recreate plant proteins and molecules to mimic animal meat.

My advice? Approach plant-based meat you would all meat. Diets that promote health and longevity encourage whole nutrient-dense foods rich in plants, and PBMs simply don't fit that category... they're nutritional copycats of meat. Animal or plant based, meat can be part of it, just watch the doses (moderation and variety are my food mantras).
🥬🥦🍄🌿🌱🍗🍖🧀🥑🍆🥔🥕

CHEESEBURGER BITES (Makes 30)
1lb ground meat (animal or plant)
1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 oz grated cheese (animal or plant)
2 gherkin pickles sliced into chips
2 tbsp aioli, mayo-ketchup, mustard, burger condiment (optional)
1 cup spinach leaves

- saute peppers and onions until soft
- mix into "meat" along with sauce
- scoop small balls onto baking sheet
- oven 350F for 15min (or air fryer 400F 8min)
- dress with spinach, sauce of choice, and pickle chip if desired

Macros per bite:
45 cal
3.8g protein
2.6g fat
1.4g carb

02/27/2021

Health isn't all about shedding weight to achieve that "thin sexy" look. Neither is dedicating hours in the gym for that "ripped sculpted" physique. And no, I'm not saying wanting those things are necessarily bad either.

What needs to be in the forefront is *actually* pursuing health and not an image of it. But you need to know what that is so you can GO. OUT. AND. GET. IT. Once you achieve that, then THAT is what "healthy" looks like!

I define it as simply as I can here and (spoiler alert) it DOES NOT involve looking a certain way. 😁🙌👌