January is traditionally a reset month in terms of health where people start making better choices in terms of their diet. Eating more plants is one way to reduce inflammation. I was watching some nutritional videos today on nutritionalfacts.org which is a great resource for patients. He was talking about eating more plant based so I thought I would share some of his insights. He recommends eating the daily dozen. This includes eating 3 servings of legumes daily (1-2 cups of cooked lentils, peas or beans per day), 1 serving berries (1/4 cup fresh or 1/4 cup dried), 1 serving cruciferous vegetables eg 1/2 cup chopped, 1 TBSP horseradish, 2 servings other vegetables (1/2 cup non-leafy vegetables, 3 servings whole grains (1/2 c. hot cereal, 1 slice bread), 1 serving ground flaxseed (1 tbsp ground) omega 3 also found in chia seeds and walnuts as well as lignans, herbs and spices (fresh and dried), beverages -water filtered if possible, green tea, herbal tea.

Try to eat 30 different plants a week for maximum benefit. Try to move your body for 30 minutes daily. Include weights for 20 minutes 3 times weekly to maintain strength. Make sure you have things in your day that bring you joy. Connect to people that you love. Bring light into your daily interactions with others. Make this new year one in which  you are aligned with your values. Happy 2026

Source: Greger, M. How Not To Die. Get the daily dozen App on your phone

Book an appointment with me on Jane. I am a registered naturopathic doctor in the province of Alberta. www.robinvinge.com

I watched Guillermo del Toro’s masterpiece Frankenstein the last two nights. What struck me was one of the themes and how relevant it is to our daily lives. The created ‘monster’ was furious with his ‘father’ Victor for creating him once we realized he was indestructible. The cruelty of the world which he discovered quite quickly, existing in a human body, comes not only in the form of verbal insults and mockery, but also wounds in the from of direct hits from gunfire and bites from angry wolves. He can’t die therefore he must choose to fully live.

All of us existing are fully challenged to live in a human body. Our bodies start to give us more cause for concern as we grow older. I have a degenerative chronic illness MS. Despite all my positive intentions, knowledge on how to manage it with diet and lifestyle, knowing my thoughts create my reality, etcetera, I am still aware of my vulnerability. I have spiritual beliefs and believe I am an eternal being. I would like to realize my potential in this life.

I may not be indestructible like Frankenstein. but I am just as challenged to live fully in every moment as he was. I have fears about my future. I try to control my environment in every waking moment so I feel safer. I am ultra sensitive to my environment- weather, diet, people, traffic, moon cycles, solar flares- you name it, I feel it.

I think we should set our intention to fully experience every moment of our existence. Like the last frame of the movie, when we see Frankenstein walk into the sunlight, we must fully immerse ourselves in this thing called life. Focusing more on your senses can bring you more fully into the moment. What can you hear in each moment? What can you see, touch, feel in each moment?

Let your heart guide you. That is a most difficult thing in western culture. Letting go of all the programming we learned growing up, whether it be patterns of behavior we observed in our parents or internal voices that sabotage us in our daily lives. Let go of the mind and the memories that don’t serve you and focus on the heart and your compassion for your fellow man. Above all if we bring love and compassion into every moment, we are living lives of superheroes, not monsters.  

To book a session with me on Jane go to www.robinvinge.com. I am a registered naturopathic doctor practicing in Calgary on Jane doing telemedicine. Kind regards, Dr. Robin Vinge, ND

I listened to Dr. Greger’s webinar on October 11th on ‘How to get your LDL cholesterol as low as possible with diet’.

He recommended following the portfolio diet so I will mention the highlights in this post. You should eat 45 grams of nuts daily. The most helpful nuts include cashews, almonds and walnuts. A handful of nuts daily or 1/3 cup of nuts. Add to salads, cereal or yogurt. Have nut butter on toast. Have no more than 4 Brazil nuts/month to lower inflammation. (Not with pregnancy or breastfeeding.)

Have 50 grams of plant protein daily. Try replacing ground beef with hearty ground soy, lentils or tofu. Consume 3 servings of legumes per day. Try to consume black soybeans daily in the quantity of one tbsp.

Consume 20 grams of viscous fiber daily. Choose breads and cereals high in oats, barley, and or psyllium. Try 1 tbsp of psyllium husk powder with 8 oz H2O daily. Make sure bread is high in fiber- 2-4 gm per slice or 4-6 gram per cup of cereal.

Emphasize specific fruits like apples, oranges, berries, persimmons. Try to eat 2 apples daily. Emphasize vegetables such as okra and eggplant. It is recommended that you take in 3 tbsp ground flaxseed daily.

Take in 2 grams of phytosterols daily. They occur naturally in nuts, soybeans and peas. You can also supplement in fortified foods like spreads, juices or yogurts.

2 tbsp dried barberries/day found in persian spice stores.

There are a number of spices that can help lower cholesterol – 1/4 tsp turmeric daily, 1/4 garlic clove daily, 1/3 tsp ground savory daily.

Reference: Dr. Greger’s webinar on Lowering LDL cholesterol through Diet Oct. 11/2025

For more information on naturopathic medicine and how it may benefit you, come and see me online. I am a registered naturopathic doctor practicing on the Jane platform. Go to www.robinvinge.com then click on contact to be led to my Jane booking site. Be well!