Bringing wholesome healthy tips
As a woman of a certain age, one of the things I’m most concerned about is bone loss. And it’s no wonder… The drop in estrogen that accompanies menopause is no joke. Up to 20% of a woman’s bone loss occurs during this period, leading to osteoporosis and making fractures prevalent in women over 50. Worse, roughly half of women over 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related bone break. There are…
I’m a real fan of high-fat cheeses like Brie and Gouda. But I’ve always been careful not to overdo it, because all that fat is bad for the heart. Right? Maybe not… Research has begun to suggest that the health risks of certain high-fat foods on the heart may be overstated. First, let’s understand the intimate connection between heart health and brain health. Research continues to show that heart disease…
Want to live a long life? No problem. Research into extending our lifespans has been at a fever pitch for a few decades now, and science has determined that certain healthy habits can add years to the average lifespan… For starters, eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly and getting enough sleep. The first two are often considered most important. But you’ll be surprised to learn how much poor sleep can…
I’ve inherited a few things from my mother: her short stature, her green eyes. And her hypertension. Besides medication, getting a good variety of vitamins and minerals in my diet helps. But there are times when I fall off the wagon, going heavy on the cookies and ice cream and light on the veggies. No matter what, though, I always take a multivitamin. Every. Single. Day. And you should, too,…
When you want a feel-good snack or meal, what foods do you reach for? Pizza? Frosted Flakes? Hot dogs? Mine used to be a McDonald’s fish sandwich and a vanilla milkshake. It felt great going down, but about an hour later, I was cranky and ready to go to sleep. Didn’t matter if it was 12 noon… I wanted to curl up under the covers. Now I know why… …
I recently had my annual physical. As part of that, my doctor ordered a series of blood tests to measure my cholesterol, blood sugar and other biomarkers. Now, I’m not the biggest fan of needles, and I hate having to make a special trip to a lab to get the tests done. But I grit my teeth and go through with it because I know it’s the best way to…
When fatty plaque builds up in your arteries, they become narrow. That reduces blood flow to your heart, brain and other organs, but is also a potential setup for heart attack or stroke. Because of these dangers, the American College of Cardiology has long recommended that doctors use assessment tools such as the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) risk score, a newer one called PREVENT and symptom checkers to calculate a…
Do you feel bloated and struggle to ‘go’? Maybe having a bowel movement just once or twice a week has become your normal. If so, you know first-hand the pain and frustration chronic constipation can cause. Sadly, numerous factors could be keeping you backed up, from your diet to common medications. But perhaps one of the sneakiest causes of constipation is an underactive thyroid. The good news is, once you…
Polyphenols are plant metabolites with powerful anti-inflammatory properties. How they work has been a bit of a mystery… Unlike vitamins and minerals that can be measured in the blood, only a small fraction of polyphenols make it to the bloodstream. Instead, ingested polyphenols undergo metabolic transformations in the gut and liver. In the gut, they alter the microbiome, which in turn alters the composition of secondary metabolites in the colon,…
Most of us think of aging as a straight line that’s going steadily downward. But the truth is, our aging process is more like a straight line interrupted by curves, bumps, and dips at specific points. Scientists have already identified three points in a person’s life when specific proteins in the blood that affect aging either increase or decrease. But a more recent study has identified a “turning point” when…