It's another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily, and I'm Dr. Neil Malik.

Hey there, happy Friday, and welcome to another Q&A edition of Optimal Health Daily,

where I answer your health questions related to fitness, diet and nutrition, and lots more.

You send in the questions, and I answer them for you.

Oh, and if you do send in a question, and you're in the U.S.,

we'll mail you a copy of a hardcover workbook. If you're outside of the U.S., we'll email you

a PDF version. So what's the easiest way to send in a question? Just email it to health

at oldipodcast.com. Now, once a month, usually during the first Q&A episode of the month,

I mention a bit about my background and credentials so you can better understand where my

perspectives come from. And given this is the first Q&A of the month, it's time. Now, I've always

been obsessed with Batman, but I wasn't always interested in the things I talk about

on this podcast, you know, nutrition, exercise, health, and wellness. But being diagnosed with a

chronic disease at the age of 19 definitely changed my life's purpose. It was at that time I decided

to focus my attention on helping others so that no one else had to experience a chronic disease

diagnosis like I did. Now, to do that, I wanted to make sure I had some credibility.

Now, this isn't meant to be a humble brag, but instead gain your trust. I received both my

master's and doctoral degrees in public health, and to make sure I covered all of my bases,

I also became a registered dietitian nutritionist, a certified health education specialist,

and a certified exercise physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine.

I've been teaching in higher education for a long time now, and I'm currently faculty within

the California State University system.

I've published peer-reviewed studies, have presented at national and international conferences,

...