Health Advice
/Health
Exercising after a stroke -- the key to optimal recovery
Every 40 seconds, someone in the U.S. has a stroke and, according to the American Heart Association, between 10% and 15% of those happen to folks 18 to 50 years old. In the past 10 years, incidents of stroke in younger people have skyrocketed by 40%.
Why? Increasing obesity, high blood pressure, high lousy LDL cholesterol, Type 2 diabetes, ...Read more
Where your stress comes from and how to counter it
A poll by the American Psychiatric Association reveals that Americans say that work (70%), family stress (68%), exercise (65%) and social habits (61%) have more impact on their mental health than their diet does (58%). But I suggest that's because they can't see that the deep-fried pork sandwich or sugar-loaded soda they downed is causing ...Read more
Smart approaches to weight loss -- to protect your heart health
According to a Gallup Poll, last year, around 41% of U.S. adults admitted they were overweight. (It's actually 73% -- and may hit 85% by 2030.) And at any one time, as many as 50% of this country's adult population is trying to shed excess pounds.
It can be life changing, when done correctly. But according to a study by Ohio State University ...Read more
News flash about hot flashes
In 2020, on "The Michelle Obama Podcast," the former first lady recalled that she had a super-hot flash while on the presidential helicopter, Marine One: "... it was like somebody put a furnace in my core and turned it on high. And then everything started melting."
Hot flashes happen to about 75% of women and start during perimenopause as ...Read more
Getting personal in your treatment for elevated LDL cholesterol
Thirty-five million Americans take a statin to lower their lousy LDL cholesterol level, but a study published in Heart reveals that about half of them won't reach their target in two years. So what's the solution?
According to Harvard Medical School, doctors are discovering that for you to achieve a healthy LDL and HDL cholesterol level, you ...Read more
The health benefits of water (and other) melons
In 2021, the average American enjoyed almost 14 and a half pounds of watermelon -- in slices, gazpacho, added to salads, even grilled. This summer, you've got another chance to get the great nutritional benefits and improve your cardio-metabolic health.
A study in Nutrients found that kids and adults who regularly eat raw watermelon have ...Read more
The four signs of early-onset colorectal cancer
Ever since a 2017 study sounded the alarm, I've been telling younger folks that they're at an increased risk for colorectal cancer. In fact, if you were born between 1981 and 1996, you have twice the risk of people born in 1950 and fully one-third of rectal cancer patients are now under age 55. And, if you're 55 or younger when you're diagnosed,...Read more
Ride the wave: More older folks are happy and healthy
"Alien" star Sigourney Weaver, 73, has said, "I like getting older. There's nothing more inspiring to me than a woman in her 70s who's full of life and still useful. I never notice age in people's faces. I just look at the whole person." She's not alone in her upbeat view of chronological aging. A new study shows that, today, people who are 75 ...Read more
Are you mixing your meds?
These days, a lot of adults taking prescribed stimulants, such as amphetamines (Adderall and Dexedrine), methamphetamines, like Desoxyn, and a methylphenidate (Ritalin) are mixing them with various anti-anxiety/sedative/hypnotic medications and opioids. That's a dangerous mix.
After looking at Rx insurance claims for more than 9 million folks ...Read more
Do your prenatal diet and supplements deliver what you need?
If you're thinking of becoming pregnant or are pregnant, making sure you have the right balance of nutrients and vitamins in your diet and from supplements is essential for your health and the health of your fetus. Low levels of six nutrients, folic acid, vitamins A and D, calcium, iron and omega-3 fatty acids, can cause pre-term birth, low ...Read more
The risks of melatonin supplements -- especially to children
Last year, Kristen Bell, the voice of Anna in "Frozen," said that she found gummies containing melatonin helped her young children sleep more peacefully. A recent government report that says last year there was a 500% increase in the number of poison center calls involving kids eating melatonin gummies. We hope her kids dodged that bullet.
...Read more
Period poverty is real -- but solutions are increasingly available
Over a lifetime, the average American woman spends $18,000 on products to manage her period. For many young girls, college students and adult women, the expense may mean a lot of stress and some skip school or work since they cannot buy products they need (12 million U.S. women ages 12 to 52 years live below the poverty line and many don't have ...Read more
Are French fries bumming you out? There's a chance they are
Adele once said, "My ideal meal, my death row meal, my last meal, would be a McChicken Nugget with a Big Mac and then fries." That love of fried foods may do more than affect her heart health -- it may influence her lyrics. In her 2015 album, "25," she sang: "I wish I could live a little more / Look up to the sky, not just the floor / I feel ...Read more
Do you turn your genes on -- or off?
What we're learning about genes, the brain and Alzheimer's disease expands almost weekly. Researchers from Harvard University recently found that you can turn on brain-protective genes and protect your cognitive powers. How? When you stress your brain cells by actively and intensely using them they turn on a gene that produces the small protein ...Read more
The art of healthy napping
"Siesta" is a Spanish word that comes from the Latin phrase "hora sexton" -- or "sixth hour" -- six hours after dawn. That kind of afternoon nap was favored by Leonardo da Vinci. He slept two hours a night but took a 15-minute power nap every four hours. That's only 4.5 hours a night. He must have had a relatively rare gene that allows brain ...Read more