Dr. Alex

Magnesium is involved in hundreds of processes in the body — from normal muscle and nerve function to energy production and nervous system regulation.

It’s also one of the supplements I personally reach for when I want a little extra support with relaxation and sleep. Different forms of magnesium are absorbed and used differently, which is why I like seeing multiple forms combined in one product.

I also appreciate brands that make third-party testing easy to verify, especially in a supplement industry where quality can vary significantly.

Thank you Natural Stacks for sending this over. Always check with your healthcare provider before adding a new supplement, especially if you take medications or have underlying medical conditions.

1. Chocolate-covered strawberries
Strawberries provide fiber and plant compounds, and the chocolate still makes them feel like an actual dessert instead of a “healthy substitute.”

2. Popsicles made with simple, natural ingredients
Look for options made primarily from real fruit or fruit purée, without a long list of additives or artificial ingredients. They can satisfy a sweet craving while still feeling light and refreshing.

3. Frozen fruit
Frozen grapes, mango, berries, or cherries can be surprisingly satisfying when you want something cold and sweet. You still get the fiber and nutrients of whole fruit, and the frozen texture makes it feel more like a treat.

4. Plain unsweetened yogurt with fruit
You get protein from the yogurt plus fiber and natural sweetness from the fruit. Berries, banana, mango, or a few dates can add plenty of sweetness without needing much else.

5. Whole fruit
Sometimes dessert really can just be fruit. A ripe peach, berries, watermelon, pineapple, or a good apple can completely satisfy a sweet craving while also providing fiber, water, vitamins, and plant compounds.

As a gastroenterologist who specializes in obesity medicine, I don’t think every food has to earn its place by being “healthy.”

I care much more about the overall pattern: enough protein and fiber, good nutritional quality most of the time, and room for foods you simply enjoy.

For me, dessert can be chocolate-covered strawberries, a simple fruit-based popsicle, frozen fruit, yogurt with fruit—or sometimes just a really good piece of fruit.

1. Bottled smoothies

Many contain fruit purée, juice concentrates, and sometimes added sugar. They are easy to drink quickly and often less filling than whole fruit, making it easier to consume more calories without the same satiety.

2. Sweetened granola

Granola can be packed with sugar, syrups, oils, and calories. The serving size is often much smaller than what people actually pour into a bowl.

3. Flavored coffee creamer

A few tablespoons can add a surprising amount of sugar and calories, especially if you drink several coffees a day.

4. Veggie chips

“Veggie” does not automatically mean healthy. Many are still mostly starch, oil, and salt, with far less fiber and volume than whole vegetables.

5. Frozen breakfast sandwiches

Many combine refined bread, processed meat, cheese, sodium, and saturated fat, while offering very little fiber.

6. Family-size snack bags

Large packages make portion control harder. Eating straight from the bag removes a clear stopping point and makes mindless snacking much easier.

7. Fruit juice

Even 100% juice has much less intact fiber than whole fruit. It is easy to drink the equivalent of several fruits without feeling equally full.

8. “Healthy” snack cookies

Labels like “organic,” “gluten-free,” or “high protein” do not automatically make a cookie nutritious. Many are still high in added sugar, refined starches, and calories.

Which one of these would be hardest for you to stop keeping at home?

1.You can be constipated even if you go every day.
Constipation isn’t only about how often you have a bowel movement. Hard stools, straining, or a feeling of incomplete emptying can also be signs of constipation and constipation can contribute to bloating

2. Bloating does not always mean “too much gas.”
Some people have a normal amount of intestinal gas but feel it much more intensely because the gut is hypersensitive.

3. Where the bloating starts matters.
Fullness high in the abdomen soon after eating points me toward different causes than swelling that builds lower down later in the day.

4. Medications and supplements are easy to overlook.
Iron, fiber products, and some diabetes or weight-loss medications can change gut motility or stool consistency.

5. The pattern matters more than one bad day.
Persistent bloating with vomiting, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, anemia, or a major change in bowel habits changes how I approach the workup.

After years in GI, one thing is clear: bloating is a symptom, not a diagnosis.

What usually triggers yours—meals, constipation, or seemingly nothing at all?

These approaches don’t “detox” your liver — because fatty liver is usually driven by metabolic dysfunction, not by “toxins” that need to be flushed out.

As a gastroenterologist, I focus on what actually changes liver health:

• improving insulin sensitivity
• reducing excess body and visceral fat when appropriate
• regular aerobic + resistance exercise
• limiting added sugars and excess saturated fat
• better control of diabetes, triglycerides, blood pressure and other metabolic risks

I also want to know whether liver fibrosis (scarring) is present, because normal liver enzymes do not always mean the liver is healthy.

Some strategies on this list — such as fasting or changing carbohydrate intake — may help if they improve overall diet quality, metabolic health, or lead to sustainable weight loss. But they don’t work because they “cleanse” or “detox” the liver.

Treating fatty liver means addressing what is driving fat into the liver in the first place. 🩺

Have you ever tried a “liver detox” or one of these approaches for fatty liver?

1. Eat as fast as possible.

When you eat very quickly, a large amount of food can reach the stomach before your body has had time to register fullness. That rapid stomach distension can leave you feeling overly full, heavy, and uncomfortable after a meal.

2. Drink everything through a straw.

For some people, drinking through a straw can increase the amount of air swallowed. That extra air may contribute to belching, abdominal pressure, and bloating.

3. Suddenly double my fiber overnight.

Fiber is important, but your gut may need time to adjust. A sudden increase gives gut bacteria more material to ferment and can temporarily cause more gas, cramping, and bloating.

4. Ignore constipation for days.

When stool moves slowly through the colon, abdominal distension and pressure can build. In my practice, constipation is one of the first things I consider when someone tells me they feel persistently bloated.

5. Spend most of the day sitting and barely moving.

Regular physical activity can help support normal intestinal motility. In people who are already prone to constipation or slow transit, prolonged inactivity may contribute to worsening bloating and abdominal discomfort.

As a gastroenterologist, I’ve learned that bloating is often less about one “bad” food and more about how the entire digestive system is functioning day to day.

Don’t ignore persistent or worsening bloating. Seek medical attention if it’s accompanied by unexplained weight loss, vomiting, GI bleeding, significant abdominal pain, or a major change in bowel habits.

Which of these habits do you think affects your bloating the most?

1. Normal blood tests do NOT always mean your liver is healthy.
I’ve seen patients with fatty liver and even liver scarring while routine bloodwork still looked normal. Liver disease can stay silent for years, which is why symptoms, risk factors, imaging, and medical history matter too.

2. Bloating is a symptom, not a diagnosis.
It can be linked to constipation, food intolerances, celiac disease, changes in gut movement, or increased sensitivity of the digestive tract. Calling it “just gas” can miss the real reason behind it.

3. Iron deficiency can start before anemia.
Your iron stores can already be low while your hemoglobin is still normal. That’s why fatigue, brain fog, weakness, or reduced exercise tolerance can show up before a blood test officially shows anemia.

4. A normal colonoscopy does NOT mean your entire digestive system is fine.
A colonoscopy mainly examines the large intestine. Problems involving the stomach, small intestine, digestion, or gut movement can still be present.

5. Colorectal cancer is not only an older person’s disease.
I’m seeing more awareness around cases occurring before age 50. Persistent bleeding, unexplained weight loss, iron deficiency, or a lasting change in bowel habits should never be dismissed based on age alone.

Which of these surprised you most?