Bringing wholesome healthy tips
Sometimes you don’t need “hard science” to tell you that something makes sense. Sometimes, an observational study is convincing enough to be considered a valid source of evidence. And while it may not offer “cause and effect” proof, an observational study, when done well, gives us enough information to convince us that changing our behavior could benefit our health. This is especially true when it comes to what we eat.…
Do you get the “Sunday blues” or the “Sunday scaries”? No matter what you call it, most of us have experienced those unsettling feelings of dread and anxiety in anticipation of the beginning of another long, busy, likely stressful week. Even though the feelings may intensify Monday morning, we march on, able to dismiss them — until Sunday night rolls around again. Unfortunately, it’s a cycle that evidence connects to…
My husband often struggles to get good sleep. It worries me a lot because I know sleep disruptions can have far-reaching consequences — from hardening of the arteries and increased risk for type 2 diabetes to cognitive decline and peripheral artery disease, among other things. For a while, he was relying on over-the-counter sleep medications to get better rest. But they never really worked all that well, plus the potential…
When we think about heart health, bones usually don’t come to mind. But growing research shows a powerful connection: the same choices that protect your heart may also strengthen your bones — and vice versa. Shared Risk Factors Across Systems Osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease may seem like two completely different conditions, but they often share the same root causes. Poor diet, a lack of physical activity, smoking, and chronic inflammation can all…
Anyone of us could become a patient in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) — more easily than we think. A severe injury like a car accident or a burn, a heart attack or stroke, or pneumonia is just a few of the ways you could land in the ICU. Even the need for observation and monitoring after a complicated surgery could make you an ICU patient. And statistically, the…
One of the side effects of being overweight is that excess fat tissue packed onto the body releases substances that cause inflammation. And inflammation can lead to a host of problems, including metabolic syndrome, a group of cardiometabolic factors that can raise the risk of type 2 diabetes and lead to plaque buildup inside arteries, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. What’s more, inflammation makes it more challenging…
It’s no secret that eating a diet loaded with fats can put you on the road to obesity, with risks of heart disease and stroke. But did you know that with obesity also comes an increased risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease? That’s right. All those fast-food meals can cause brain inflammation that leads to cognitive impairment and memory loss. But is obesity the cause, or is it the…
About 400 different species of bacteria live in your gut microbiome. There are “good” and “bad” bacteria, and most of the time, the good bacteria are able to keep the bad ones in line. But you may be surprised to know just how easily that perfect balance can go out the window… You’re probably well aware that antibiotics can cause dysbiosis, but so can many common prescriptions. Even if you…
My mom recently had an eye exam and was dismayed to learn that she was in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a leading cause of blindness in people over age 50. She immediately followed the doctor’s instructions for diet and supplements, but she had one question to which the doctor couldn’t give a satisfying answer: “Is there anything I could have done to prevent this?” Right now,…
You might be surprised that a cardiologist would have something to say about colon cancer. But we’re seeing a parallel — younger people developing diseases that used to only strike older individuals. As it turns out, the same thing that causes cardiometabolic disease earlier in life may also be setting us up for earlier and more aggressive colon tumors. The Worrisome Trend Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, has…