Bringing wholesome healthy tips
Given that I write for a health blog, you would think my diet is beyond reproach. And for the most part, it is. I eat plenty of lean meats, fruits and vegetables, drink mostly water and limit dessert to a square of dark chocolate after dinner. But my worst dietary vice is processed meat. Time and again my EHO colleagues and I have written about how products like bacon, sausage…
If you’ve been to your doctor lately for a yearly checkup, you may feel confident that your risk of a future heart attack is low, or even better — zero. That’s because doctors are now widely using an imaging test called a cardiac CT scan. The scan creates tiny, cross-sectional images of the blood vessels that go to your heart to measure the presence and density of calcium-containing plaques. Using…
Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American men, behind only lung cancer. On the other hand, most men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer do not die from it. In fact, in certain men, prostate tumors do not develop into cancer. These facts have prompted scientists at the University of Michigan to look for an alternative to the costly and invasive method now used to…
If you were to make a list of the most important organs in our body, the usual suspects would probably come to mind. Your heart, brain and kidneys would likely top that list. However, you might forget about one organ that is absolutely vital to living a healthy life — your liver. Not only is your liver the second largest organ in your body, it performs more than 500 functions…
If you have any sort of gastrointestinal problem, you know how important it is to maintain the health of your gut microbiome. In addition to helping with digestion, these trillions of microbes help regulate the immune system and fend off disease-causing pathogens. Studies have also shown a definite connection between gut health and that of other parts of the body like the brain, heart and skin. Additionally, changes in our…
Obesity can lead to a laundry list of potential health problems. From heart disease and diabetes to sleep apnea, arthritis and stroke, carrying around those extra pounds can make your life more difficult or even dangerous. And according to a study reported in the journal Nature, those might not be the only effects fat has on your body. In fact, researchers have found that both the fat in the food…
Common wisdom has it that our mental faculties tend to fade with age. It’s true that some of our cognitive abilities will weaken as we get older. Things like spatial visualization (helps with things like map reading) get weaker. You may have heard that older people are dangerous drivers. It’s true that our processing speed slows down, making it harder to formulate quick responses to all the stimuli coming at…
Has the romance and passion in your relationship waned with the passage of time? That spark that can sometimes fade may not be as elusive and you think. In fact, a study from researchers at Tel Aviv University seems to indicate that the solution may be as simple as spending a little time in the sun… How does sunlight enhance sexual health? Researchers have known for years if not decades…
Have you ever traveled across several time zones, pulled an all-nighter for a term paper or worked an overnight shift? I’ve done all three, and they definitely wreaked havoc with my circadian rhythm — or internal body clock. The day after, I could usually make it to lunchtime before my body convinced me it was bedtime and I fell asleep (often while I was still sitting up). Disruptions to the…
Lutein is most familiar to us as the “eye vitamin.” This nutrient that’s abundant in many healthy foods, including dark green leafy vegetables and eggs, is a powerful antioxidant well known for reducing the risk of eye diseases like age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. But keeping your eyes healthy is far from the only good reason to supply ample amounts of lutein to your entire body. Here are four…