Latest Stories

Recently, I read an online article about 7 common myths surrounding the cholesterol-lowering medication Atorvastatin, also known as Lipitor. The author minimized well-reported adverse side effects to the degree I might expect from a pharmaceutical representative. Let me set the record straight…

Now, I don’t want to be glib, because getting enough activity is incredibly important. But why 10,000 steps? Where did this number come from? And will you really get diabetes, cancer, heart disease or die early if you only get, say, 6,300 steps per day?

There is a way to stop most headaches before they start and it can be as simple as changing the foods you eat. Here are the six foods that could be causing your headaches.

Many factors contribute to high blood pressure, but most of us wouldn’t think about sleep quality as part of that equation. Think again! How well you sleep is more important to maintaining healthy blood pressure than you’d ever expect. Just look at these results after just one night of tossing and turning…

In the “old days,” cholesterol was Public Enemy #1. And one of the biggest sources of cholesterol? Eggs. Fried, scrambled … we were told over and over to lay off the eggs, for our hearts’ sake. Then things started to shift.

As soon as middle age hits, men and women face a noble yet notoriously difficult battle worthy of an entire Game of Thrones episode — the battle of the belly bulge. Here’s how to banish that belly bounce for good…

It seems like it would be bad enough just to receive a cancer diagnosis, but often the cure can feel as bad as the disease. In order to beat cancer, the treatment experience can be quite miserable. But thanks to the latest in cancer therapies, the sickness and misery could be a thing of the the past…

We all know that sugary drinks are bad for us. But what if I told you there was another beverage that could be even worse? In fact, if it were a pharmaceutical it might have been pulled from the market by now. Or, at the least, carry a strong warning to physicians and a warning label for consumers…

There’s an Alzheimer’s risk factor that most people don’t realize is a risk factor. And it affects millions of Americans. Luckily, it’s a risk factor that can easily be abated — your cholesterol level. It turns out that high LDL cholesterol could be putting you at risk for Alzheimer’s…

It stands to reason that having heart disease, suffering a stroke, or having cancer could lead to feelings of depression. But it works the other way too… people with depression are more likely to also suffer certain physical disorders. It boils down to this common denominator…

If you’ve ever struggled with stiff, achy joints, you’ve probably tried glucosamine supplements. They’re by far the most popular joint supplement around… If you’re dealing with your joint condition in other ways, you’re missing out. This supplement has more major benefits than you can shake a stick at…

Thanks to research at Emory University, help for the antibiotic resistance epidemic may have been discovered in the most unlikely of ways — not in cutting edge medical techniques or the latest drug development — but in the past…

Sleep apnea is a common condition that’s still grossly underdiagnosed in women. A dangerous trend considering women with sleep apnea are at much higher risk for heart problems. And now, a new study has confirmed that for women, our sleep apnea danger doesn’t stop at our hearts.

I love a high protein meal. The good news here is that higher protein foods reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, muscle wasting (in the elderly), and more. But that is far from all the benefits. Studies also back up the role of protein in weight loss and weight maintenance…

Aspirin continues to be routinely prescribed to patients at risk of heart disease. But research is starting to question whether this is OK for everyone. If you’ve been regularly popping an aspirin, particularly if you are at high risk of stroke or have had a stroke, you’ll want to pay close attention…

This summer fruit isn’t just juicy and sweet, it’s also chock-full of nutrients that ward off fatigue and its hidden causes. Let’s take a look at all the ways eating watermelon can give you more energy.

There’s no question that your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. And, if you don’t keep it healthy, you’re at extreme risk of cardiovascular disease, heart attack and even heart failure. This antioxidant powerhouse offers the multi-faceted protection your heart needs…

When it comes to reducing your dementia risk, you don’t have time to waste… Every year, 10 million more people worldwide are diagnosed with this devastating disease. And that number is expected to increase in the coming years. So why mess around? Start lowering your risk today…

One quarter of new cancer diagnoses are in people ages 65 to 74. Given these numbers, prevention efforts should be focused on addressing the particular challenges and cancer risk factors faced by older adults. That’s why experts came together to examine how cancer in this age group could be better prevented…

There’s probably been a point in your life where you took a Z-pack from your doctor without second guessing it. Maybe your throat was ablaze with strep bacteria or any other number of nasty infections. At those times, a Z-pack feels like a life-saver. But this common antibiotic can also be a life-ender…

Every day, more proof arises that what we put in our mouths can have a profound effect on our health, now and in the long run. Despite all the news and research about the importance of eating whole foods with names you can spell, Americans are reaching for foods that make them fat and sick — one in particular…

Most of us have heard of the shingles virus, especially if you’re past middle age when your risk of being diagnosed goes up. Basically, if you’ve ever had chickenpox, you’re at risk for shingles. And, there’s something else you should know… It’s putting more and more baby boomers at serious risk for blindness…

Women have a much steeper heart disease risk once menopause strikes. But your estrogen levels start dipping long before you enter full-blown menopause which means your heart attack risk skyrockets a lot sooner than you realized.

Sitting is the new smoking. That’s because while the rates of smoking have fallen to their lowest point in recorded history, we spend more time than ever sitting… at our computers, in our cars, on our couches to watch TV and at the kitchen table eating. And it’s making us sick.

Investigators found that even among individuals who would be deemed low risk based upon LDL cholesterol levels, those with elevated inflammation levels had double the risk of a subsequent cardiac event. This supports what we already know about coronary and vascular disease… and a missed opportunity to save lives.

Most of us think of liver problems in relation to how much alcohol we drink. But, while alcohol can damage your liver, there is a much sneakier cause of liver damage that you could be living with right now and not even know it. It’s called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD for short.

You may never have even considered the fact that men can get breast cancer. But breast cancer is breast cancer, folks, regardless of gender. It operates pretty much the same way and can kill anyone. But men can also be survivors, provided they know the signs, take action, and don’t let stigma stop them…

Genes. It’s easy to curse fate for giving you less than perfect ones… Unfortunately, some are more serious than a painful pair of fallen arches or skin that doesn’t make for stunning selfies. Hidden somewhere in your genetic code may be a tendency toward cancer. That doesn’t mean you can’t beat those odds…

Had I known that high fiber foods heal intestinal diseases, like ulcerative colitis, I might have been spared a complete proctocolectomy, the complete removal of my large intestine. My experience served as a catalyst to investigate healing through fiber… something I didn’t learn in med school and am glad to share…

Caring for a family member with Alzheimer’s is unlike any other stressor. It has multiple layers, and it’s not like you can wait to deal with the physical strain while you’re taking care of the way it affects every other aspect of your life, including depression. But there’s help in these eight skills…

You know that nutrition is the predominate factor leading to good health. Food allergies are notorious for promoting inflammation in the gut that also robs you of vital nutrients. These tips can help you avoid the pitfalls of poor gut health and guide you to some testing to zero in on the source of your problem.

I came across an article that revealed this new flash: Eating when you’re not hungry might be less advantageous for your health than eating when you’re hungry. But “the why” is pretty interesting. Turns out the human body will actually process what you eat differently depending on if you’re hungry or not…

Although many men worry about diminshing testosterone (low T), they should be just as concerned about striking a balance with estrogen. Here’s an easy guide to understanding the hormone interplay and what estrogen dominance means for them…

You want to get started working out in the New Year. There’s no time for the gym, no money for a trainer, and motivation wanes when working out alone. Well, it’s time to begin buddy workouts!

A game of Risk may be fun. But when it comes to taking prescription drugs, many people turn a blind eye to the risks posed by dangerous side effects. But now-a-days science is helping prove that big pharma does not have the monopoly on the mechanics of healing.

There’s a lot of evidence that you can actually make your brain younger. No, you won’t be transported back to your twenties, but there’s much evidence pointing to activities that can make your brain perform like a 20-year-old, and it wouldn’t be all that surprising if your body followed suit…

Do you remember the manic Mad Hatter character from Alice in Wonderland? He suffered from mercury exposure. Why is that important?

Before you start that diet you promised yourself this year, be sure to prime your body to make the best of it by resetting your digestive system.

Mainstream doctors refuse to admit it — but here’s more evidence that healthy, natural salt should be part of your daily diet.

Osteoarthritis is one of the painful conditions we face as we age. It is the most common form of arthritis and is marked by degeneration of the joints and surrounding tissues through years of wear and tear from too much or too strenuous physical movement.

As the weather warms, you’re probably going to be working out, playing more sports, using those legs and especially arms even more than before. But if your elbows start to ache remember that drugs won’t really let you get past the pain. Try this…

Everyone’s heard of blood pressure. But how many people know what pulse wave velocity is? It doesn’t have anything to do with high speed travel back to the future—but it does have everything to do with your future

There’s growing evidence that medications taken by millions of Americans are fueling the nation’s obesity epidemic by robbing you of your natural ability to burn calories on a constant basis.

Happy New Year! With the holidays behind us, and winter officially here, it’s a good time to examine what this season offers us energetically, from the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

You’ve probably had your fair share of blood tests and other diagnostics at your doctor’s office. Last week I shared some that are rather routine so you’d have a guide to understanding them better. Now, let’s look at some advanced blood tests…

They’re not even embarrassed anymore to feed us the same line over and over. This time mainstream doctors are saying we need new blood pressure drugs even if we have normal blood pressure.

If you want an accurate measure of your heart health, cholesterol numbers don’t paint the whole picture. Instead, ask your doctor to run a test for the amino acid that’s 40 percent more accurate at predicting heart problems and stroke risk

Pneumonia can kill and it can be especially dangerous as you grow older. But there’s a vitamin that can help the immune system shrug off this deadly threat.

Exercise needs to be fun. After all, if you’re having fun while you do it, you’re more likely to stick to it and get and stay healthy. And who’s not bored with crunches and dead lifts? Well, get ready to get fit and have fun…

Over the years, research has started to build up that shows that you shrink your chances of cancer with every bite of every vegetable you swallow. And one of the natural compounds in those foods is so powerful — researchers are making it into an anti-cancer drug.

Anti-aging medicine is evolving quickly. Researchers are still learning how diet, lifestyle, environment and other elements play key roles in the aging process, and new data is helping to shed light into this ancient search for the fountain of youth.

Inflammation in the body can be brain enemy No. 1 and lead to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease. But there’s a superfruit juice that can pull your brain cells out of the fire.

When it comes to lowering cholesterol, drugs are not your only choice. Here are some of the tried and true solutions that have been observed for lowering cholesterol…

Some of the most important tools you can employ to lower your risk of cancer are a toothbrush and dental floss. Use them properly and you may lower your chances of early cancer death by up to 80 percent.

Eating a lot of meat without consuming fruits and vegetables makes you more vulnerable to colorectal cancer. But you can lower your risk if you eat a specific fruit readily available at every supermarket. There’s just one condition: you have to eat it a certain way to get its cancer-fighting superpower…

Are you lathering yourself with poisons, even in so-called healthy body care products? Since they wash right off, many people don’t feel they need to worry about toxins in soaps, shampoos and conditioners. Worse, many more people don’t even realize they’re washing toxins right into their system through the largest route of exposure: the skin.

Apparently not every dish with salt is off limits if you suffer from elevated blood pressure, and most experts don’t believe salt is the real culprit anyway. Good news because it turns out this spicy soup reduces blood pressure — and it’s secret ingredient is a familiar one…

Influencing nutrient absorption, immune health, hormone balance, cognitive function and more, digestive health directly affects a wide range of critical processes in the body. How does yours stand up?