Chili peppers not only have a powerful effect on your taste buds, but they also have a powerful effect on your cardiovascular system. In fact, research shows chili peppers can reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. But the hot heart-healthy benefits don’t stop there…

In the world of fruits and vegetables, the color purple signifies something special. Any time you’ve got a purple or dark blue fruit or vegetable on the menu, you’re consuming a healthy dose of a special antioxidant-rich plant pigment known as anthocyanin.

You may have heard that coffee reduces blood sugar problems. In fact, numerous scientific studies have linked higher coffee intake to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes. Now, thanks to a cutting-edge technique, the one type of coffee that can truly give you that diabetes protection has been identified…

Daily sugar consumption has been shown to reduce the formation of new neurons in the hippocampus, a process known as neurogenesis. It also increases the presence of cytokines, proteins that cause inflammation. Even though we’re wired to want sweets, it’s possible to rewire your brain to turn them away…

The Mediterranean diet is known as one of the healthiest to follow if you want to avoid a plethora of diseases including Alzheimer’s and diabetes. The focus is on olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains and fish. Would you be excited to know there’s now a meatier version?

Harvard researcher showed it lowers Parkinson’s risk. Other research says it’s protective against non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. And still more says it could help prevent liver cancer. So when the latest report showed it could help beat obesity, diabetes and heart disease, no one had to twist my arm to drink up…

Which is the healthiest choice: An Impossible Burger (plant-based), a grass-fed beef burger, or a traditional corn-fed beef burger? These three “meat” categories may appear distinct, thanks to good marketing and environmental activism… but as a cardiologist, my answer might surprise you…

I don’t know about you, but Christmas is almost here and I’m still recovering from Thanksgiving. And, it’s not just the hours spent cleaning and decorating to prepare for company – only to clean again once the fun was over and everyone went home that has left me dragging – but the food, oh the food!

Wow, the response to my post last week on cacao, the superfood to beat statins, was amazing! But I’m not really surprised… Now that you know what cacao can do for cholesterol, let me share other benefits that will have you adding cacao to your coffee like I did this morning…

Cacao is a superfood that has 40 times the antioxidants of blueberries. But I decided to look further into cacao’s health benefits and was even more impressed by how they challenge statins…

It’s hard to imagine anyone getting a case of the winter blues with all the holiday hustling and bustling happening, but seasonal affective disorder is estimated to affect as many as 10 million Americans. If the cold grey days get to you, try these comfort foods with nutrients that can combat the winter blues in a very real way.

Doctors prescribe statins to control cholesterol levels and protect the heart. Ironically, these very same statins could make it more likely that diabetes could develop, which weakens blood vessels, which can make you a target for heart disease. And round and round it goes…