Grab Bag Health Tip:

Dr. Andrew Weil‘s 8 Ways to Prevent Gallstones.. and live healthier in general:

(20 million Americans have gallstones, with 1 million new cases every year! Women are twice as likely as men to get them.)

If you need to lose weight, do so slowly (crash dieting can lead to gallstone formation).

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to keep hydrated – this can help keep the bile in your gallbladder fluid.

Make sure you get 1,000 to 1,200 mg of calcium from all sources daily (an intake level that’s associated with a lower incidence of gallstones). Women should consider taking 500-700 mg of calcium in supplement form. This can help bind bile acids and decrease the risk of stone formation. However, men should limit calcium consumption to 500 to 600 mg from all sources.

Take 300 mg of curcumin (an active component of the yellow spice turmeric) three times a day to increase the solubility of your bile. Choose a product standardized for curcuminoid content. *Note from LK: Curcumin is the Taylor Swift of the nutritional supplement world right now. There is beginning to be a growing body of evidence to show that curcumin has some significant anti-cancer potential. It is found naturally in the spice turmeric, at lower levels. Recommended curcumin supplements that meet standards: The Vitamin Shoppe® Turmeric Extract 95% Curcumin (300 mg extract and 100 mg powder per capsule) • NOW® High Potency Curcumin From Turmeric Root Extract, 665 mg of Total Curcuminoids (700 mg extract per Vcap) • Douglas Laboratories® Ayur-Curcumin (Turmeric) (300 mg extract per capsule) • Life Extension® Super Curcumin with BioPerine® (800 mg extract per capsule)

Take 200 mg of supplemental vitamin C daily (in one study women with higher blood levels of vitamin C were half as likely to develop gallstones as those with lower levels).

Keep your fat intake to about 25 percent of daily calories. A high-fat diet can trigger the gallbladder to release bile and set off an attack if you already have gallstones. But be wary of very low-fat diets, which can promote the formation of stones by failing to stimulate normal gallbladder contraction and flow of bile.

Limit your intake of sugar, which may promote gallstone formation.

Increase your fiber intake, and substitute whole soy protein for animal protein in your diet.

Grab Bag Leonardo au Lait:

The genius of Leonardo, reinterpreted:

Text that accompanied the images: