Bringing wholesome healthy tips
By now, you’ve probably heard about the 30+ health risks, including heart disease, associated with ultra-processed foods (UPF) — the kinds that bear little to no resemblance to the real, whole foods that made up our grandparents’ diets. So it’s not surprising that these foods, which make up a chunk of the standard American diet, are fueling the growing diabetes epidemic. However, what may surprise you is just how little…
I bet you’ve heard of weekend warriors, even if you’re not one yourself. But after I share something with you known as the “weekend warrior phenomenon” —you may want to join their ranks… Chances are we all know a weekend warrior. Maybe it’s the sister-in-law who sits behind a desk all week, works late and goes to bed early. But come Saturday morning she packs the car to the hilt…
Before I jumped into a writing career that opened my eyes to the consequences and causes of cancer, I lived a couple of decades of my life under the assumption that cancer was something we had little control over. Of course, now I know that a person’s lifestyle can impact how high or low their cancer odds are stacked — even when there’s a genetic risk factor But when assessing…
Similar to your gut, your mouth is a breeding ground for bacteria. Some of those bacteria are good and some are bad. The bad guys include disease-causing doozies like Staphylococcus and E. coli. The most common bacteria that can cause pneumonia and is typically found in the mouth is Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus). The longer you let the bad bacteria brew, the more likely they are to travel to other places in…
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder where a person stops breathing repeatedly throughout the night. More than just an annoyance causing sleep interruptions (and jabs from your partner for snoring), OSA has the potential to do serious harm to your health. It can raise the odds of several cardiovascular complications including metabolic syndrome (METs), heart attack and stroke — just to name a few. As if these risks…
Despite decades of mounting evidence that we need more vitamin D, the medical community has held fast to the meager recommended daily allowance (RDA) set by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). And many people don’t know this secret: Due to a serious calculation error, the current RDA is 10 times lower than what was intended. Is it any wonder then that nearly a quarter of all Americans are vitamin D…
You may have heard the news that in February, the World Health Organization estimated that by 2050 there will be more than 35 million new cancer cases, a whopping 77 percent increase from the 20 million new cases they predicted in 2022. Now, the news has gotten even more dismal — at least for men. That’s because according to research published in the journal Cancer, by the same date, cancer…
Mood can be a tricky thing. Sometimes a temporary situation in the workplace or our personal life can cause anxiety, stress or depression, and once that situation is resolved, those feelings recede. But often, these issues are caused by something physical within our bodies. For instance, raised levels of the hormone cortisol can lead to anxiety, stress and/or depression. Then there are other physical conditions that on the surface may…
My husband went through a long period where he was having trouble sleeping. I was worried he might have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where a person repeatedly stops breathing throughout the night. But more than poor sleep, OSA increases seven cardiovascular complications that can skyrocket your risks for heart trouble and type 2 diabetes. Getting an accurate diagnosis, however, is not easy. It usually requires a visit to…
I still remember having chickenpox at age six. I missed the better part of first grade. That was decades ago. So why am I thinking about this now? Because it makes me susceptible to a painful condition that affects about ten percent of people who have had chickenpox — and you’ve probably guessed that I’m referring to shingles. That may not sound like a big risk. But some research I’ve…