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We all know that if we want to lose weight, slim down, and tone up, we have to do two things – watch what we eat and exercise. Yet too often, even when we stick to those two principles, it can be difficult to truly see much difference in a short amount of time.

Electronics are so ingrained in our day-to-day, it’s hard to imagine life without them. But people who remember a pre-digital world, often wonder if being so plugged-in is harmful. A new study shows that the blue light from electronics may damage brain cells. But that’s not all… it could make you age faster too…

Dairy marketing has long convinced many of us that drinking a lot of milk is the express lane to strong bones. We’ve told that “milk does a body good.” Turns out, that may not only be false, but a downright dangerous statement that’s luring thousands of men to their early deaths.

Coconut oil is one of the richest sources of saturated fat, a fat long considered to be unhealthy. Yet coconut oil has been credited with a wide range of health benefits. What’s wrong with that picture? Here are 12 ways the research shows coconut oil can impact your health and wellness….

Since the early research on the French paradox, a lot of naysayers have come out of the woodwork to cast doubt on its validity. And they’re partly right: There was a glitch in the research concerning the correlations with red wine. But dismissing the French paradox completely would be a big mistake…

Millions of Americans are so affected by health disorders that are so stigmatizing, they’re too afraid to get help. Many feel alone in their experience, so they don’t seek the treatments they need. Here are a few of the most commonly stigmatized health issues and tips on how to get help…

There are two things they say are 100 percent certain in life… death and taxes. And according to the CDC, in the U.S. you’re most likely to die from either heart disease or cancer. I can’t help you with your taxes, but there’s a way to measure your heart disease and cancer risk at home and do something about it…

Being sick or in the hospital is hard enough, without having to figure out the bills that soon follow. Are you being overcharged? Did the doctor or hospital submit the charge to your insurance company? Is the insurance company paying what it should? Having someone in your corner makes a big difference.

Ahhh… childhood… Cartoons. Games. Candy. Sugary cereals. It was a blast, wasn’t it? Well, that was then, and this is now: All of that stuff is still weighing down your (and my) health today. In fact, our childhood diets play a bigger role in our major health issues as adults than most of us ever realized…

Using your purse as a back-up plan, a place to throw things “just in case” they’re needed during the day, is a recipe for muscle and nerve damage. You’ve probably not thought about what that sort of load is doing to your body. Here are 8+ pains that it causes and how to avoid them…

Fast medicine is impersonal and cold. Patients are now just bits of standardized data. But the biggest casualty of fast medicine is the forgotten concept that if we remove the obstacles, the body can heal itself. That’s called slow medicine. Together, both ways of healing could optimize your health…

The human body has a complex network of thousands or millions of clocks all over the body, all doing their own thing and all of which have to talk to each other and synchronize with each other. When that happens, health is good. A way to make all this work for you is called chrononutrition… and it’s easier than you’d think…

You may have already hatched a plan to protect your memory as much as you can in these critical years. Mediterranean diet? Check. Daily power walks? Check. Sudoku book on your nightstand? Check. But there’s another factor influencing your memory, one you probably don’t realize you need to protect yourself against…

There’s a lot of research claiming to prove the health benefits of coffee. Some of those health claims have a good deal of solid research behind them, while others warrant further investigation. But after more than 20 years of research into coffee, there is one thing we know for sure that can keep you drinking, worry-free…

We all know that being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of developing numerous diseases. But did you know your weight and your risk of cancer are inextricably linked? Not only that, but over 40 you’re at higher risk for certain cancers. The secret’s in your BMI. Here’s how to check your risk and lower it…

Plants make potent medicine. Our ancient ancestors knew it. And modern scientists know it (why do you think most medications have their roots in plants?). Still, many folk remedies get written off as hogwash. That’s why it’s especially exciting when research can pinpoint the mechanism behind a plant’s medicinal power…

Despite what many people think, an overactive bladder is not a natural or inevitable part of aging. It is a diagnosable condition that, while more likely with age, can occur at any age. If an overactive bladder is affecting your quality of life, check out your options — from botox to bladder training and more…

Metformin is a drug for treating diabetes. Like rapamycin that I wrote about last week, metformin has humble beginnings. It is derived from a kind of French lilac, reputedly used to treat diabetes-like conditions in medieval Europe.

Alzheimer’s disease has no cure at this point. Does that mean you should sit back and only hope it doesn’t happen to you? That’s a big fat NO. There’s enough research on how to avoid the mind robber, starting with foods you should eat, those you shouldn’t and other helpful tips to live dementia-free…

A hip fracture is especially serious as you get older. It can mean a loss of mobility and even loss of life. People over 50 who fracture a hip have a much higher risk of death within ten years of their injury. Unfortunately, one certain B supplement can be problematic, especially for women…

You’ve probably heard the warnings before: take care of your oral health or you could end up with heart problems. New research shows the harm to your heart may actually be measured by the number of teeth you have. Even if you only lose a few, your odds for heart trouble increase…

Do you have a cabinet full of multi-vitamins and other supplements in your kitchen? If you’re like many of us, the answer is YES. And, if you’re like many people, you haven’t paid too much attention to the expiration dates on those bottles. Here’s why you should — and why you shouldn’t keep them in the kitchen…

You expect a lot from your brain… afterall you’re constantly connected, so it’s easy — and hard — to do everything at once. As we age, it doesn’t get any easier. In fact, you may eventually find it difficult to keep up with it all. But there is a way to master multitasking well into your 70s and 80s…

Eating too much sugar causes weight gain and increases risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But before I get all worked up about sugar, it’s worth noting that not all sugar is created equal. One type of sugar sets you up for dangerous health conditions… and another type helps protect you…

Have you jumped on the gluten-free bandwagon yet? It seems everywhere you turn these days, people, including some big-name celebrities, are going gluten-free, claiming it’s helped them with weight loss, energy and their health in general. But there are a few things you should be aware of before jumping on board.

More than 400 million people worldwide suffer from diabetes, and the rate at which people are developing this disease is accelerating. The surging rates of diabetes and obesity in the last 50 years strongly link environmental and dietary factors. But one of the culprits may be a common food additive…

It’s been shown type 2 diabetes can be reversed on extreme low-calorie diets. But slashing your daily intake to 700 calories when most of us eat more than that in one meal seems impossible. That’s why I have some exciting news… You don’t have to go super low-cal to send your type 2 diabetes into remission…

While most people probably wouldn’t think doing the laundry could put them on the path to wellness — or sickness, for that matter — new research is showing just how important it is to put the heat on germs when you’re doing the wash… Especially the multidrug-resistant kind living in your washer…

Chronic hypertension increases the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. It can also lead to dementia, vision loss and kidney disease. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to lower high blood pressure and keep it in a healthy range. Medication can help, but you’d be surprised how well these simple hacks work…

It’s important to eat healthy to be healthy, right? That means eating more fruits and veggies and leaning towards whole foods in general while steering clear of overly processed foods — especially if you want to manage your weight and avoid conditions like heart disease. But this habit throws a kink in your best efforts…

Does your upper back feel tired and your head feel heavy at the end of the day? That’s because the muscles of the upper back and shoulders are fatigued from doing countless “forward head” activities, like: texting, typing, reading and the like. To feel better…

Finding the motivation you need to reach any goal can be difficult. To keep working at reaching your wellness goal can often be overwhelming. Even though the payoff can be huge, we feel like we need that “something” that keeps us going.

I’ve been using my iron skillet more and more lately, and I’ve discovered that I like pan-roasting most vegetables in it — including new potatoes. An added benefit of cooking in a cast iron skillet is the additional iron it can add to your diet.

Everything you do in life, you do for one reason: to be happy. But what if I told you that the key to happiness is somewhere you never thought to look — on your plate…

Music’s healing effect has been demonstrated on everything from colds to cerebral palsy. And the latest science suggests you could harness that power to accomplish some pretty amazing things. But some tunes work better than others…

The findings of a new review suggest that dietary omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil fight prostate cancer on several levels.

We all experience those moments from time to time — a forgotten name, a hazy memory, misplaced keys. After all, in today’s age of multitasking madness, it’s easy to lose track of a few details. But when these “senior moments” happen regularly, they become more than just passing phenomena …

When I got a surprise summer cold recently, I went to my local health food store in search of vitamin C. The woman working in the vitamin department saw me trying to decide what type to buy, and gave me a tip that will probably change the way I take vitamin C forever.

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to live to 100? Some people say they don’t want to because they picture themselves feeble and sickly — like a prisoner in their own body. But the latest research on centenarians shows that this just isn’t so.

Acupuncture is one ancient method that has caught the attention of the modern medical community. It’s several thousand years old and has helped millions of people with everything from sprained ankles to pregnancy to the flu. And science is showing it works…

When your doctor says your illness is “idiopathic,” don’t believe it! The “idiopathic” condition is one that has no known cause. Every illness has more than one cause — you just have to discover them.

According to the Almond Board of California, one ounce of almonds contains about the same amount of disease-fighting polyphenols thought to ward off heart disease and cancer, as a cup of broccoli or green tea.

What you’re eating right now could make all the difference whether you develop chronic health problems or even deadly diseases like cancer down the line. Because even though food can be medicine, food can also be poison. Take the relationship between diet and cancer…

If you’re an American, you’re no stranger to scary food ingredients. In fact, your food is filled with some of the scariest additives around… remember the ‘wood pulp’ found in Parmesan cheese? But the latest food being manufactured in China, may be scarier than anything you’ve seen before…

Do men and women require different approaches to health and nutrition? Aside from the obvious differences, it’s only recently that researchers and conventional healthcare providers have tuned in to the subtle and not so subtle biological differences between the sexes.

Based on mounds of research, the Mediterranean diet could be the healthiest diet around. But the accolades usually omit one important component of a traditional Mediterranean diet: pasta. Has that been a mistake?

Few things are as uncomfortable and unnerving as painful urination or urinary frequency, also called dysuria. And more than one condition can be the reason for the pain. But most often the blame can be placed on one of three conditions…

Have you ever thought about how much easier life would be if you could just turn off your cravings for pizza, candy, cake and other foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients? You can with a single…

Balanced blood sugar is an important key to a healthy life. And not just if you want to fend off diabetes. Unbalanced blood sugar creates inflammation in your body that leads to a host of problems like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and even cancer..

My blood pressure issues go way back. Early in my life, my high blood pressure surprised my doctors since I wasn’t overweight, exercised frequently and ate what they thought was a healthy diet. But it wasn’t until …

The sun is good for your health when it enables your skin to make vitamin D. But you need to protect yourself against sunburn. Learn which foods and supplements can help your skin limit sun damage and possibly help defend against cancer.

Autoimmune diagnoses are tough. The “good” news is that now there are drug options to treat the most severe autoimmune diseases.

No time, no equipment and no place to exercise? Not anymore! Exercises where you engage the entire body, or at least many of your major and minor muscle groups, are the way to go when time is limited.

Would you go on a diet that helps you maintain good nutrition, reduce the oxidative stress on your body, burn energy more efficiently, balance hormone output better, promote a healthier gut microbiome, boost immune system health and gain years of life?

I meet people every day and talk to them about improving their health. They usually have no problem talking about almost any issue … until it comes to the “embarrassing” ones. For instance problems with digestion and elimination, or irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

It may sound crazy… marijuana supposedly makes you spacey and forgetful, right? But if you take a closer look at its effect on your brain, you’ll see that it actually helps you dodge a brain-destroying symptom, and you don’t even have to smoke it…

Social media had a great start. It was fun. It connected us. But now, for some at least, it may have gone too far. In different ways social media can impact people’s lives negatively — possibly even dangerously….

The yoga traditions have a breathing technique known as “Alternate Nostril Breathing” that helps relax the body and restore energy and balance in just a few moments a day. It’s definitely worth every breath…

You’ve heard of good fats? Avocados are a great source. Without enough healthy fats in your diet, your metabolism slows down leaving you to pack on the pounds.

Motivation is one of the keys to achieving goals and getting ahead in life. Of course, motivation is an essential supporter of the wellness puzzle. If you want to remain healthy and well or work to restore your health and well-being, continuous motivation is needed. And yet, what motivates us is a mystery.