Latest Stories

Melanoma is a serious form of skin cancer that’s caused when UV rays damage pigment cells in the skin called melanocytes. When melanocytes are damaged, they mutate and start growing rapidly. But the root of skin cancer may be hiding somewhere other than your skin cells — in your hair follicles.

Essential fatty acids found in fish oil have had their ups and downs in health news. First, they were praised for heart health, then dashed for prostate cancer potential, then dashed again on heart disease. But finally, it looks like more studies are coming out that vindicate omega-3s all around…

The evidence is clear: the amount of sleep you get each night is a predictor of your health and of your lifespan. Seven to eight hours is the number you should be shooting for. In fact, numerous studies have enlightened us about the dangers of too little (and too much) sleep. The latest threat? Old bones…

Step into any store, park, mall, or gym and you’ll see immediately that some people walk more slowly while others speed past. And, while you may think that how fast you walk is simply a matter of preference, a new 40 year study by researchers at Duke University says that you should think again.

A Belgian astronomer and mathematician developed this easy-to-calculate ratio between a person’s height and their weight. It’s become an accepted measuring stick for a person’s chances of living a long, healthy life, or of dying young. But BMI, or body mass index, is coming under a lot of fire…

It may surprise you to learn that heart disease is the leading cause of death for people with kidney disease. See, when your kidneys stop working, calcium builds up in your arteries. But a new study shows EDTA chelation could help clear calcium out and prevent many of these deaths…

There’s a wriggly uprising your probably haven’t heard about that at the very least will give you the heebie jeebies and at the worst could make you very ill. That’s because just two years after the first case of eye-invading parasites from cattle were found in humans, they’re back!

Almost everyone has trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, from time to time. Medications we take, stress from the day and a racing mind that just won’t shut down, pain, or irregular sleep habits can be the cause.

The widespread and too often inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to an average of two million antibiotic-resistant infections in the U.S. each year — a number that’s predicted to continue to rise. And, according to a new study, some of the dangers could be lurking in your pet food dish. Here’s why…

There’s a nutrient that’s absolutely essential to keeping muscles strong and healthy. If you’re not getting enough of this, you could be headed down a dark road to chronic illness and a loss of independence. And I’m not just talking about your body, but your brain too. When muscles shrink, so does your brain…

You know what I like most about high-intensity interval training? It packs a serious punch in a short period of time. You can do a 20 to 30 minute session and feel like you got a good workout in for the day. But is the pain worth the gain? Will pushing yourself to the max pay off more in the end?

You might remember the first Pap smear you ever went through. It’s one of the most important things you can do for your health, though none of us look forward to it. Thing is… the Pap test can identify cervical cancer in the early stages — when it’s not too late to save your life. So don’t let age hold you back!

When you go for your yearly checkup, one of the boxes you’ll have to check on their forms is about whether you’re taking hormone therapy drugs. While it does come with some benefits, it’s been discovered that the risk it carries has been dramatically underrepresented…

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…

If any disease desperately needs new treatment options, it’s Alzheimer’s. It’s been 17 years since a new drug was approved. And right now, the treatments available only offer minor symptoms relief. In the fight against this devastating and stubborn disease, hope is a very good thing, and it starts in your gut…

Here come the holidays… and the potential for weight gain. But if you go into the season with a game plan, you can still indulge without feeling deprived or being desperate to lose weight after the new year…

So many people love running. And there are a lot of solid reasons to. Runners get that release of feel-good brain chemicals known as a runner’s high. They can load up on carbs because they’re burning crazy amounts of calories. But there’s one more thing you may be missing out on if you’re not running…

Remember that there is no safe blood level of lead. It’s been tied to illnesses ranging from mystery military ailments to heart disease. Fortunately, it’s treatable. Chelation is a method of binding up metal molecules so it can be eliminated via the urine. There are also antioxidants that help get your health back…

It takes a lot of experimentation to get the right sleep program that puts you out at night — and most importantly, keeps you out! So, here are some alternative sleep therapies you may want to try.

Subjective age is the term used for that number you give when someone asks, “How old do you feel?” How do you answer? It matters because it’s that sort of thinking that can not only prevent physical disabilities and ailments but can even protect against future dementia and Alzheimer’s…

Research has shown that exercise helps keep dementia at bay. There’s a pretty logical connection here: Poor sleep is a known dementia risk factor. Physical activity promotes better and deeper sleep, for one thing. Of all the “exercise” you can partake in, some of the best for your brain involve no sweating at all…

More than 75 percent of Americans take vitamins. In the over 35 group, that number goes up to an impressive 81 percent. Yet, with all of the vitamins we’re taking, there’s one that many people don’t know about in spite of multiple clinical studies that have proven the necessity of the vitamin for fighting off age-related concerns.

For those of us who put the pounds on easily and can’t seem to get them off again, here’s some news: It appears some of us actually have an “obesity gene.” This may sound like very bad news, when in fact, it’s not as bad as it sounds. That’s because research found an exercise more powerful than your genes.

When you first start eating a healthy diet, you feel fantastic. You have more energy. Maybe you even resolve long-standing health issues. But despite the amazing benefits (or perhaps because of them), healthy eating can easily become an obsession. This obsession even has a name — and it’s considered an eating disorder.

Jim was a patient of mine years back. He had come to me for holistic advice on heart health. His doctors were recommending statins to control his cholesterol. When Jim came to see me later in the year, I was struck by his decline. That’s when we discussed easing him off drugs and starting a recovery program…

Vascular dementia is the second most common form of dementia after Alzheimer’s. Its causes and risk factors are different from AD, its symptoms show up differently, and it’s much more under our control. Symptoms of vascular dementia can vary. Here’s what to watch for and how to identify your risk…

Because obesity is a factor in so many health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer, it’s estimated that the extra weight Americans carry is responsible for one in five deaths. But a compound found in a certain green fruit could help not only kick obesity to the curb but diabetes with it!

I recently read about a U.S. Army veteran who went through years of misdiagnosis and was even accused of faking his health problems by the Army before finding chronic lead poisoning was making him so ill. I’d like to share his story with you and new findings about lead and heart disease…

Getting back in shape after you’ve let your physical fitness slide for years (or decades) isn’t easy. But if you can break through the wall of negative thoughts and get your butt moving, you’ll find some pretty amazing benefits waiting for you. And the older and more out of shape you are, the better these benefits are.

Menopause symptoms can be miserable. Some women turn to hormone replacement therapy (HRT). But a lot of women don’t feel comfortable with the potential side effects, including a higher breast cancer risk. So, what else can you do? Check out herbs that work just as well…

Taking small steps daily can be life-changing if you are ready to take the first step toward better physical, emotional, and spiritual health. Here are a few to get you going that I personally encourage …

Research shows that if you spend too much time around noise and pollution the way we typically do, your body…

Stability and balance are two different concepts that many understand to mean the same thing. But when working toward a healthy body to improve activity, at any level, and quality of life — it’s important to know the difference…

All these years spent worrying about what to eat to prevent diabetes — but who knew the actual cooking method had so much to do with disease risk? Fortunately, it’s not too late to make a change.

When you occasionally allow yourself to enjoy a good old-fashioned juicy hamburger you already know you’re going to be consuming quite a few calories and gobs of grease. No surprises there. But it’s the little ‘extras’ the factory farms are sneaking into your meat that you should be most concerned about.

Their study, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, included 953 stage III colon cancer patients who were treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Those who consumed at least four cups daily had the greatest benefits…

It’s surprising how many people believe that their metabolism is beyond their control… Nothing could be further from the truth. Here’s how it works…

If you’re a fan of acupuncture, you know that a few well-placed needles can do wonders for your health. Now it’s been shown to ease a lot of the uncomfortable symptoms of aging…

It’s not always convenient to make the best food choices. No harm! Researchers have recently uncovered a simple (and delicious) way to counteract the effects of a few bad dietary choices.

Men who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer may want to consider increasing the amount of fish oil in their diet. New research indicates that fish oil may delay prostate cancer progression by affecting the immune system.

Yale researchers have found a particular problem that’s attacking women’s hearts. The good news is a substance that can help block stress and guard their hearts.

Is “low sex drive” a disease? Big Pharma wants you to think so. They’re calling it “hypoactive sexual desire disorder.” Never mind that nature has provided many ways to boost libido …

Doctors and nutritionists are behind the curve on this one. New discoveries you probably won’t hear about from them now show that the signals sent within our bodies are critical for good health.

Did you overindulge on BBQ, drink one too many cocktails or stay up at a late-night party? Whatever the cause, bloating can be much worse in the hot summer weather. Legs and feet can swell, faces puff and pants don’t fit. Not exactly a picture of summer fitness and health, is it?

If you’re a health nut who likes your daily caffeine fix, you’re probably a fan of green tea. It has just enough caffeine to keep you zipping and more than enough antioxidants to keep you healthy. But it seems green tea has a rival as the king of healthy caffeinated beverages…

Be warned… dehydration makes you more susceptible to heat stroke. And a headache can be a symptom of heat stroke. Heat stroke is serious. So if you have a heat-induced headache, watch out for other heat stroke symptoms…

It’s hard for busy working adults to stay fit. I certainly don’t need to detail for you how busy your days and weeks are… but I think it’s safe for me to assume that fitting in exercise is next to impossible.

When my children were very young, I baked a lot of oatmeal raisin cookies. But that was years ago — way before I began making a concerted effort to prepare and consume healthier fare. Now, I bake oatmeal raisin muffins.

Excessive hair loss is an alarming condition. Especially if you don’t understand what is normal versus what needs medical attention. Hair loss can be triggered by many things including recent illness, stress, even a poor diet. Pinpointing the cause is the first step to stopping the loss.

Hidden deep within the sea are plants, animals and minerals with cancer-fighting powers so strong they rival the Amazon’s most potent cancer cures. This one has proven effective against one of the deadliest cancers around…

Protecting the quality of your sleep is one of the most healing and rejuvenating things you can do for yourself. By combining sleep-promoting habits, the right foods and targeted supplements, you can get the rest you need.

Cleansing the gut is as crucial to gut health as removing the old oil from your automobile before adding the new oil. Just imagine returning your gut, intestines and colon lining to the pristine condition you had it in when you were a child — clean, pink and functioning optimally. You can do this…

Nuts are the one food that drastically reduces your risk of inflammation, chronic disease and an early death. And in my book, that’s a “prescription” that’s easy to stomach. But whatever nut you pick, just make sure…

In the female body, there are almost 400 known functions of estrogen. So for reasons that significantly impact your health and quality of life, wrangling your hormones is something you should consider…

Cardiovascular exercise has long been the answer to burning calories quickly. But it’s the long-term impact that weight training has on your body that may win you over though…

If you toss and turn at night, you’re not alone. About 70 million Americans suffer with sleeping problems. But there are natural ways you can use to ease your way more reliably into relaxing slumber.

A tight back and shoulders prevents ease of movement and restricts range of motion. Painful trigger points develop from sitting and typing all day or from overuse, causing more pain and restricted movement. Foam rolling is a great way to release those trigger points.

Though no one can change their DNA, we certainly can address the environmental factors that influence our health. It is possible to shift these factors from disease promoting to health promoting.

Kombucha, also known as the elixir of life, is not your typical cup of tea. This mildly fermented beverage has been around for centuries and is often touted as a near-miraculous cure-all. Here are a few reasons why…

To be fit it’s important to possess a degree of muscular strength as well as cardiovascular endurance. A good workout plan includes strength training with intermittent bursts of high intensity exercise.