A: It doesn’t affect knees. Water should be consumed slowly sip by sip so that saliva gets mixed. So sitting down is a good idea.

A:Following a plant-based diet, green juice, intermittent fasting, and avoiding processed foods and milk products, along with regular workouts, positively impact arthritis. The inflammation-reducing properties of plant-based foods played a crucial role.

A: Blood pressure measurements are often taken incorrectly at doctor's offices, leading to higher readings. Proper measurements, such as research-grade measurements, may differ significantly from routine office measurements. There are 19 different elements that constitute an accurate BP measurement, and failure to adhere to these guidelines may result in higher readings.

A: The most recent guidelines by Joint National Committee (JNC-8) released in 2014 recommend that people under age 60 need to maintain their BP levels below 140/90 without medication. Target for those over age 60 is 150/90.

A: The diet remains the same; the only difference is that you can have a slightly longer eating window of 10-12 hours.

A: Fruits, vegetables, cereals, beans, nut or oat milk, etc.

A: Oil consumption can lead to obesity, heart disease, and other health issues. It's essential to limit or avoid oils and focus on whole foods for fat sources.

A: Coconut is very healthy. Coconut water is exceptionally good. Coconut milk and butter are also acceptable. Only coconut oil is bad. I only allow consumption of oil of up to 2 teaspoons a day by those who are healthy and not on any medications. If you fit that profile you can use coconut oil, but everything you would do with it can also be done with ghee. Ghee is better as it has a better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.

A: Oils are highly processed and calorie-dense, and they lack the fiber and nutrients found in whole foods. Limiting or avoiding oils can help with weight management and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

A:1 Sauté onions and spices in few tablespoons of water or use vegetable stock. 2.You can add ground mustard seeds or nut butters like peanut or cashew butter. 3.Use air fryers to replace deep frying or bake. 4. Mix avocados into dough to make stuffed parathas. Avocados are 80% fat.

A:Salads with avocado, fruits, nuts, and seeds, blended vegetable soups, various chaat dishes, sprouted mung salad , Eggplant bharta, Thai spring rolls with peanut sauce.

A:Many of these sprays are nothing but oil. Their single dose qualifies as zero calorie because it is less than 1/2 calorie (rounding of to zero) but you have to spray for only one tenth of a second which practically no body does.

A: The alternative approach focuses on eliminating the root cause, including a PBWF diet, avoiding animal foods, maintaining high activity levels, intermittent fasting, and practicing yoga and pranayama.

A: Different organizations recommend varying A1C targets. ACP suggests an A1C level between 7-8%, ADA recommends 7%, AACE advises 6.5%, and more aggressive management targets below 5.7%. The PBWF diet along with a shorter eating window is key to curing diabetes.

A: Fruits are perfectly fine. A plant-based whole food diet can help regulate blood sugar levels.

A: Include a 3-5 minute sprint before dinner to further lower A1C and fasting glucose levels.

A: Drink lots of water and walk for at least 60 minutes. Intermittent fasting and a plant-based whole foods diet also help. However, consult a physician for medical advice.

A:"Hope you are off medications. Lowering A1C below 7.9 with medications is harmful to your health and increases your all cause mortality risk. If you are not on medication than it is best to forget about it. Lower A1C isn’t necessarily worth worrying about. Live and enjoy your life following PBWF/IF/10K."

A: According to American College of Physicians revised guidelines, medication should only be started above 8.0. But dietary changes to PBWF/IF/10K should be made.

A: To maintain good health, it's important to eat a variety of foods from each food group. If you have only consumed millet throughout your life, try adding wheat, rice, quinoa, oats, and corn to your diet. This diversification will enhance your health. Similarly, if you've primarily eaten other grains, incorporating millet can be beneficial.

A: Fasting sugar is a flawed indicator. It can vary from 80 to 150 mg/dl in the same person on the same day depending upon at what time it is taken. It is called Dawn Phenomenon. Our body operates on a circadian rhythm changing hormonal levels throughout the day and night.

A: It’s a wrong assumption that the healthy diet for different diseases must be different. If it was to be so, how do we decide which disease we want to prevent and which disease we don’t want to prevent. The premise is illogical. Any diet to be acceptable must benefit all chronic diseases. The PBWF/IF/10K diet and lifestyle helps prevent and cure all chronic diseases. For people who have reached advanced level of an illness (breakdown) or who have artificial organs or body parts, clearly one needs to consult doctors who specialize in such organs. Most of the components of the diet are pretty benign and should not create any problem with few exceptions; one that comes to mind is restriction on some green leafy vegetables (rich in oxalates) for advanced stage kidney diseases.

A: Green leafy vegetables, beans, and fortified plant-based milks are good sources of calcium. A PBWF diet can provide adequate calcium without dairy.

A: Dairy does not provide calcium. It bleaches calcium out of the bones. Paneer is most harmful within dairy.

A: Both are okay as long as you do not develop an addiction to them.

A: Walking, sprinting, yoga, and strength training are all beneficial. A combination of these can help maintain overall health and wellness.

A: When the body loses fat, it loses all over; visceral fat is the first to go. For localized weight reduction, different exercises like sit-ups, forward and backward bends, certain yoga poses, and specific Pranayama exercises like Karpalbhati and Agnisar are recommended. Consult a yoga instructor.

A:Prolonged fasting can be done through liquid fasts, fruit-only fasts, water fasts, and dry fasts. It's important to introduce food slowly when breaking the fast.

A: This is a very good regimen. It is similar to Ekadashi fast. I do not know what is your daily tasting window. 36-hour figure suggests that you are following a 12:12 schedule. It would be better to make that at least 14:10 if not 16:8. You can reduce your fasting regimen to every other week.

A: Fasting helps diabetic the most. Of course, on fasting day there is no need for medication because you are not consuming any calories any way. The medication will cause hypoglycemia. Please consult your physician.

A: Yes. Not only rice, one should not consume any grains or beans or dals. Because these foods have too much protein. The whole idea of Ekadashi fast is to avoid any proteins consumption. That is why we eat Sabudana which has no protein.

A:Fasting triggers various stages in the body, including ketosis, autophagy, and changes in hormone levels.

A:Intermittent fasting can help improve insulin sensitivity and may benefit individuals with diabetes, but medication adjustments should be made under medical supervision.

A:"Some people may find it difficult to reduce eating window immediately. If so you can reduce it gradually by say, one hour each week. It takes 3 weeks to form a new habit. Eat some nuts after dinner but within the eating window. They keep you full longer.

A:Of the12 PBWF recommendations, only one is about not eating animal food. So if you follow the other 11 guidelines you will see improvements in health. In non-veg food the processed foods like bacon, ham, salami, bologna, hot dog and hamburger (at fast food chains) are the worst and should be avoided all costs. They are classified as Group-1 carcinogens by the World Health Organization, same as cigarettes.

A: Healthy fats are essential for brain function and hormone production. Good sources include avocados, nuts, seeds, and olives.

A: Green juice is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. It can help boost immunity, improve digestion, and increase energy levels.

A: A PBWF diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds ensures balanced nutrition.

A: Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals, which can cause oxidative stress and damage to cells, thereby reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

A: Meals with 5% oil, such as dal, rice, roti, subji; khichri with vegetables; stuffed parathas; idli sambhar; paper dosa; stir-fry veggies & rice, and others.

A: Trans fats, added sugar, processed foods, and animal products are major triggers of inflammation. It's crucial to eliminate or minimize the intake of these substances for better overall health.

A: Ayurveda has many different interpretations. Many people practice Ayurveda are not seriously educated. I have been diagnosed by different practitioners in all three types. Ayurveda in Kerala is different than in Tamil Nadu. Some allow dairy and some don’t. In the US to practice Ayurveda you need to be an MD first. Ayurveda is grossly being misinterpreted.

A: First of all, fruits should never be consumed at the end of a meal as they digest much faster and therefore should be consumed in the beginning of the meal. Secondly consuming anything after dinner would shorten your IF window. Thirdly, as we had discussed during circadian rhythm as the third pillar of health, consuming fruits which are rich in glucose and fructose at night is not recommended because body converts them to triglycerides.

A: Gluten-free diets are beneficial for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. However, unnecessary gluten avoidance can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not managed properly.

A: Gluten-free diets are beneficial for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance. However, unnecessary gluten avoidance can lead to nutrient deficiencies if not managed properly.

A:Inflammation is the body's response to perceived threats. Certain foods, particularly those high in animal proteins, can trigger inflammation. For cardiovascular health, it's essential to reduce inflammatory foods and increase the consumption of anti-inflammatory foods, like green leafy vegetables.

A:The endothelium, lining blood vessels, is crucial for smooth blood flow. Inflammatory foods contribute to plaque buildup, causing atherosclerosis. To prevent or improve cardiovascular diseases, one must stop consuming inflammatory foods and increase the intake of nitric oxide-releasing foods, especially green leafy vegetables.

A: The endothelium, lining blood vessels, is crucial for smooth blood flow. Inflammatory foods contribute to plaque buildup, causing atherosclerosis. To prevent or improve cardiovascular diseases, one must stop consuming inflammatory foods and increase the intake of nitric oxide-releasing foods, especially green leafy vegetables.

A: Yes with PBWF/IF/10K it comes down quickly. Remember high LDL is a marker of poor health and not the cause of it. You need to remove the cause. Killing the messenger with medications will not help.

A: One has to decide whether they want to get healthy or just lower LDL cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol is a marker that is telling you that your diet and lifestyle is not good and if continued, will shorten your life. Now if one doesn’t correct the diet and lifestyle and just lower LDL cholesterol by artificial means like statin drugs or some naturopathic drugs or superfoods, without correcting the real causes, it is not good. One is simply killing the messenger and not paying heed to the message. If you follow the 12-point guidelines the cause will be corrected and the body will heal and LDL cholesterol will drop.

A: No. Honey is healthier than sugar but that doesn’t mean it is healthy.

A: Honey is not healthy. If you are off medications, you can use it as your budgeted amount of two teaspoons of sugar.

A:Some people may find it difficult to reduce the eating window immediately. If so, you can reduce it gradually by, say, one hour each week. It takes 3 weeks to form a new habit. Eat some nuts after dinner but within the eating window. They keep you full longer.

A: One has to decide whether they want to get healthy or just lower LDL cholesterol. High LDL cholesterol is a marker that is telling you that your diet and lifestyle is not good and if continued, will shorten your life. Now if one doesn’t correct the diet and lifestyle and just lower LDL cholesterol by artificial means like statin drugs or some naturopathic drugs or superfoods, without correcting the real causes, it is not good. One is simply killing the messenger and not paying heed to the message. If you follow the 12-point guidelines the cause will be corrected and the body will heal and LDL cholesterol will drop.

A:Both are okay as long as you do not develop an addiction to them.

A: No. No artificial sweeteners. They make you fat and cause diabetes.

A: If the gas and acidity persist, consider consulting a healthcare professional. You may also try consuming smaller quantities of juice or diluting it with water to see if that helps.

A: Yes with PBWF/IF/10K it comes down quickly. Remember high LDL is a marker of poor health and not the cause of it. You need to remove the cause. Killing the messenger with medications will not help.

A: This is not a diet that you do for a few months. It is a lifestyle to be continued for life. Many people on serious evaluation find that their compliance is much less than originally thought.

A: No. Ghee is not good but it is better than most oils. Once you are off all medications as an exception, you can consume, two tsp of ghee or mustard oil.

A:The five pillars of health, according to Lalit M Kapoor, are Food, Detoxification, Physical Activity, Emotional Support of Family and Friends, and Spiritual Balance. Food, accounting for 80% of health, is the most significant pillar, while the remaining factors collectively account for 20%.LMK emphasizes the importance of food in providing nutrition and energy, laying the foundation for overall health.

A: Including a variety of plant-based protein sources like beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts, and seeds can ensure adequate protein intake.

A:Proteins, fats, and carbohydrates provide energy for the body. While fats and carbs can be stored, there is no storage provision for protein. Excess protein leads to the liver converting nitrogen to ammonia and then to uric acid, putting a strain on the kidneys and liver.

A: Healthier alternatives include natural sweeteners like dates, maple syrup, and stevia. These options are less processed and contain more nutrients than refined sugar.

A: No. No artificial sweeteners. They make you fat and cause diabetes.

A: Eating stevia leaves is okay but not sweetener. People forget that sugar is also a plant-based product. Eating sugar cane is fine. The problem is only with sugar.

A: Generally, a well-planned PBWF diet provides all necessary nutrients. However, vitamin B12 and vitamin D supplements may be needed for some individuals.

A: No. There is always some fat in your diet. I hope you are taking flax seeds and walnuts.

A: Combining a PBWF diet with regular exercise, intermittent fasting, and mindful eating practices are effective strategies for weight loss.

A:Skin issues during weight loss may occur as toxins stored in fat are released and eliminated from the body, leading to temporary skin problems like pimples, which usually resolve over time.