Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Carolyn Gretton

How to keep insulin from shrinking your brain

When you don’t have blood sugar problems, most of us don’t give our insulin levels a seond thought. But research has found that as we age, what’s happening in the brain can differ from what’s going on in the body…

Joyce Hollman

VILPA: Your ticket to low cancer risk when you hate exercise

Move over HIT, here comes VILPA, and if you’ve been beating yourself up for not exercising and missing out on benefits like a lower risk of cancer, find out how adding a little gusto to every day activities can lessen your risks of developing certain cancers up to 32 percent!

Carolyn Gretton

More proof olive oil is what your brain needs

If you’ve not embraced olive oil yet, what’s the hold up? It’s packed with taste and health benefits that decades of studies are bringing to our attention. And what it can do to safeguard your brain keeps coming up again and again. Now, we can add reduced risk of death to the list…

Joyce Hollman

High urine levels of cadmium linked to endometriosis

Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal that is of no use to the human body. It’s a carcinogen, affects blood pressure and induces bone damage. And it’s difficult to avoid. But a large study just found another good reason why women especially should try hard to…

Tracey G. Ingram, AuD

Two reasons to have your liver tested

If your liver was in trouble, could you tell? Probably not. By the time you or the doctor might, liver disease has often progressed and caused damage. That doesn’t mean you just have to wait and wonder. In fact, there are two major reasons to get your liver tested…

Joyce Hollman

The significant impact 500 steps has on your heart

Hold onto your wallet, because you won’t need an electronic step counter for this: Sure you already know walking is great for the health of your heart. But I bet you thought you’d need a lot more than 500 steps to make an impact like this…

Joyce Hollman

6 foods for a healthier heart and longer life

It seems that too much advice only warns us off foods that are unhealthy, when all we need is some simple advice, including food swaps, that can help us choose what to put on our plates every day to avoid the number one killer of Americans and add years to our lives. Well, here you go…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising factor that accelerates aging faster than smoking

Most of us think of age as the number of years we’ve been on the planet, but the truth is not so simple. No matter your chronological age, certain things in life can make you older than your biological years. Of those, we used to think smoking was the worst, but not anymore…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The other supplement that helps you get the most from vitamin D

Low levels of vitamin D have been shown to go hand-in-hand with conditions ranging from osteoporosis and heart disease to Alzheimer’s. But there’s a mineral deficiency that could be working against all your best efforts to get enough of the valuable vitamin D your body needs…

Carolyn Gretton

How an early breakfast can help you dodge diabetes

We’re finding out that when it comes to chronic disease, when you eat may be as important as what you eat. Researchers are finding that an early breakfast may be key to reducing the risk of this common condition that sneaks up on far too many of us…

Rick Kaselj

Ageless backs: Maintaining a strong and supple spine after 50

Who says you can’t have good times after 50? With a healthy body and a strong spine, the sky’s the limit. But if yours isn’t as supple and strong as it should be we’ve got age-friendly exercises and supplements to get your vitality back…

Carolyn Gretton

The emotion that worsens heart trouble in diabetics

Certain factors can increase a person’s risks for heart trouble. Like a broken record, we’re warned to eat right, exercise and not to smoke to keep all our numbers low. But for diabetics there’s one risk factor that’s been found to worsen them all…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The snack that fills you up and makes weight loss easier

Whatever the time of year or our excuses, the weight we wanted to lose may still be hanging around — on hips, thighs and middles. Don’t feel bad. Even with the best laid plans, when trying to lose weight the odds are stacked against you — unless you know an inside secret…

Joyce Hollman

More lean muscle may lower Alzheimer’s risk

As we age, our lean muscle mass declines, but that doesn’t mean we’re helpless to stop it. There are many reasons to preserve it. If you need one more, consider what research has found about its connection to Alzheimer’s…

Margaret Cantwell

Black cumin seed and diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is considered preventable. That doesn’t mean it’s easy. Other conditions can make it harder to reverse, including obesity, hypertension and metabolic syndrome. But there is quite a bit of published research that indicates an ancient seed could help…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 ailments to take apple cider vinegar for

Overweight, diabetic and suffering from everything from heart disease to cancer could describe a large percentage of U.S. adults today. If you want to make sure you don’t end up this way, there could be powerful help sitting on your kitchen shelf right now…

Jedha Dening

For lowest BP, eat your beets this way

Beets are a root vegetable we love for their bright purple flesh and pleasing sweet flavor. And if you’ve beat around the bush for a while, you might be aware that beets help your body produce a heart-healthy compound called nitric oxide. Here’s how to get the most of it…

Joyce Hollman

Fluctuating cholesterol: Causes and links to dementia

For a long time, the only concerns the medical community had about cholesterol were high levels and an inconsistent link to heart disease. Then, research uncovered cholesterol’s significant role in the brain, and that levels can do much more than climb high or lay low…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What an extra cup of coffee does for diabetes risk

Considering that 1 in 3 of us have prediabetes, researchers know the implications could be huge if they could could find a simple fix. Especially if it’s something most of us enjoy, don’t need a prescription for and tackles a key inflammatory biomarker…

Carolyn Gretton

That low-fat dairy advice has more holes than Swiss cheese

Cheese and other whole-fat dairy foods have endured a bad rap for far too long. Considering it’s one of six foods linked to longevity, experts are calling for a re-evaluation of low-fat recommendations and have proof the old advice has more holes than a hefty slice of Swiss cheese.

Joyce Hollman

The vitamin that reduced atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation or AFib causes an irregular heartbeat. When blood pools in the atria (top chamber) of the heart, stroke risk increases. AFib is not the same as heart palpitations. Here’s how to tell the difference and the vitamin that may keep the condition at bay…

Joyce Hollman

Why menopause makes time in the sun riskier

Sun exposure is a double-edged sword. The good side: vitamin D; the bad side: photoaging. But it goes deeper. Sun exposure can further throw a post-menopausal woman’s hormones out of whack, making her more vulnerable to significant health risks…

Carolyn Gretton

How green tea may shrink uterine fibroids

By age 50, up to 80 percent of women suffer with uterine fibroids. These non-cancerous tumors cause lower back pain, heavy bleeding, exhaustion, pain during sex, complications during pregnancy and bladder trouble. Research shows a tea habit may help…

Carolyn Gretton

How purple produce pushes back at blood sugar problems

The anthocyanins found in purple, blue and red plants pack a powerful punch against a host of inflammatory-related conditions and blood sugar issues. But researchers digging deeper into the impact of these powerful antioxidants have discovered an interesting quirk as to why they’re so effective at reducing diabetes risk…

Joyce Hollman

The light aging your skin that sunscreen can’t block

Electronic screens expose your eyes to the damaging effects of blue light. But what many don’t know is, the sun is a significant source of blue light and, just like UV rays, blue light prematurely ages your skin. But unlike UV rays, sunscreen can’t protect you…

Carolyn Gretton

The ‘Barbie drug’ for tanning, weight loss and cancer

It’s a lab-made chemical originally used to help treat certain skin conditions. It’s similar to a hormone produced naturally by our bodies that increases production of skin-darkening pignments. But it’s a killer tan that you want to avoid at all costs…

Carolyn Gretton

For lowering stroke risk, diet isn’t the answer (this is)

You’ve heard it time and again: eat healthy to protect your cardiovascular health. Yet stroke is the one cardiovascular condition that doesn’t seem to be influenced by diet. So, what can you do? The answer is another lifestyle factor (not exercise) that affects us all at one time or another…

Joyce Hollman

The dangerous connection between surgery and obesity

There are many good reasons to maintain a healthy weight. And most of them are on a long list of dangerous conditions. But it’s actually a health issue no one’s sounded an alarm about yet that may put anyone dealing with obesity in the danger zone…

Carolyn Gretton

It’s official: Aspartame could cause cancer

Much research has connected artificial sweeteners to not-so-sweet health issues, while health agencies continued to maintain their safety. It’s no wonder we’re confused. Now a recent declaration by a leading global health body has only made things murkier about this possible carcinogen…

Carolyn Gretton

How deep sleep tonight improves blood sugar tomorrow

Sleep is essential to our well-being. But we’re still learning how it helps prevent disease. One surprising finding? Deep-sleep brain waves reboot the body’s sensitivity to insulin, resulting in a more effective control of blood sugar the next day…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How stress increases pain sensitivity and how to get relief

Have you noticed that when you’re stressed, pain from your bad knee or a headache kicks in? And it’s the last thing you need, right? The fact is, stress can make everything in your life worse, including pain levels. This inescapable truth starts with immune cells and that one abomination that contributes to everything “unwell.”

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Dangerous ‘forever chemicals’ are hiding in your cosmetics

Think the makeup you put on your skin each day is safe because the label says, “Clean” or “Natural”? Think again! Testing of more than 200 cosmetics sold across the United States and Canada, found your cosmetics could be hiding a dirty toxic secret — “forever chemicals” associated with everything from thyroid disease to cancer.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The nutrients that lower depression up to 70 percent

Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for reasons other than your body not producing them on its own. From improved heart health and cognition to longer life, omega-3s have long been identified as important nutrients to avoid numerous health problems. Add relieving depression to the mix, but there’s one caveat…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Research confirms how diabetes drives Alzheimer’s

Doctors and researchers have long known that some sort of link exists between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Yet, while they could see that the two went hand-in-hand for so many patients, they never actually understood why. Until now…

Margaret Cantwell

How leaky gut leaves you vulnerable to a virus, like COVID-19

As you already know, COVID-19’s symptoms weren’t just upper respiratory. It’s been reported that many people with the virus experienced GI problems, too. It may seem random, but the connection with viral infection is much more concerning: A condition that can act as an open door to disease…

Joyce Hollman

Postural muscles: The key to reducing your fall risk

Injuries and deaths related to falls in older adults are such that the problem has been described as a “hidden epidemic.” My balance is no longer something I take for granted. Because I don’t want to end up incapacitated and unable to enjoy doing the things that give my life meaning, here’s what I’ve learned and practice….

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Boosting blood oxygen levels may halt early sign of Alzheimer’s

Healthy, oxygenated blood flow is vital. That’s why during a stroke, seconds matter. But a catastrophic event isn’t the only concern when it comes to blood oxygen levels. Research has found that the brain is operating on the bare minimum, even on a good day. On a bad day, it can lead to Alzheimer’s earliest sign…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Hops compounds may fight fatty liver

While heavy drinking can lead to liver disease, a quarter of the people in the United States today have a dangerous liver condition that has nothing to do with alcohol. But there may be hope to defeating this condition from an unlikely source — hops.

Carolyn Gretton

How to get up to 10 times the benefits from eating blueberries

Blueberries definitely pack a health punch. But it can be tough for our bodies to absorb all the antioxidants present in the fruit. Now, researchers may have found a way around that problem by combining blueberries with this common food…

Joyce Hollman

10 natural pain relievers and what the science says

No one wants to live with chronic pain. In fact, if given a choice, no one wants to live with pain even for a short time. But standard methods of pain relief can be risky, including acetaminophen, ibuprofen and opioids. Here are 10 alternatives that all fight the root cause of most pain…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The proof is in the spinal fluid: The Mediterranean diet deters Alzheimer’s

The list of diets you can choose and trends you can follow is virtually endless. But when it comes to one that consistently scores high for both brain and body health, it’s the Mediterranean diet. And it may be hands down the most protection against Alzheimer’s plaques you can eat.

Carolyn Gretton

Sore throat? OTC cold remedies won’t help and may harm

Catching a cold is a drag and little is worse than a sore throat. But if you turn to drugstore cold remedies to ease the discomfort, think twice. They not only do little good, but they also harm upper respiratory cells…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The best prescription for better blood pressure and cholesterol

You might want to ask your dotor about your prescriptions. If they’re treating your cholesterol, you could end up with double the dementia risk. If it’s your blood pressure, they may have you on the medication found to thicken blood vessels and makes things worse. Maybe it’s time to walk away with a brand new and surprising prescription.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Bloodroot offers promise against triple-negative breast cancer

One of the most difficult forms of breast cancer you could be up against is known as triple-negative breast cancer. It doesn’t respond to traditional treatments and it’s especially aggressive in African American women. A simple plant compound may lead to more effective treatments…

Carolyn Gretton

The nutrient with huge disease prevention potential we don’t get enough of

Between the glut of highly processed foods in the average Western diet and the popularity of meat-heavy diets like keto and carnivore, too many of us are not getting enough of a simple but powerful health-boosting nutrient that wards off heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease and more…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Superfoods for blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation and more

Superfoods have a valuable impact on our health because they’re nutrient-dense or possess special compounds. Three new studies have taken a closer look at the science behind these superfoods. And they’ve discovered benefits that go far beyond what we previously knew…

Joyce Hollman

How heavily weight factors into prostate cancer

Prostate cancer is only second to skin cancer among men. When diagnosed early, the five-year survival rate for prostate cancer is nearly 100 percent. Except, that is, if you’re obese. It’s important to understand weight’s connection to agressive prostate cancer, the worst fat and how to lose it…

Carolyn Gretton

The lifestyle habits that can outweigh a family history of dementia

Having a first-degree relative such as a parent or sibling with dementia can increase your dementia risk by a staggering 75 percent compared with someone who doesn’t have this familial history. While this statistic is sobering, there’s more and more evidence that it’s by no means set in stone…

Carolyn Gretton

How effective is garlic for osteoarthritis knee pain?

It’s no secret that obesity can put you at risk of a number of chronic illnesses. It can also increase your risk for osteoarthritis and make you a tough candidate to find relief from osteoarthritis knee pain. You may have heard that garlic can help. But how effective is it really?

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Wegovy: What you can expect from the ‘new’ weight loss drug

If you were paying attention to the news this summer, you probably heard about Wegovy™, a “new” drug just approved for weight loss. It’s an injection that you self-administer once a week under the skin. And it works! Sounds great, but before you give it a try, here are all the details…

Margaret Cantwell

How fortified foods and the breakfast myth make us sick

The idea of fortified foods was to reduce nutritional deficiencies. But you can’t cut corners, use cheap ingredients, remove natural nutrition and expect that throwing in a few synthetic vitamins will make up for a product that does more damage than any vitamin deficiency…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What fruit can do for insulin sensitivity

High levels of circulating insulin can damage blood vessels leading to high blood pressure and heart disease. That’s why improving insulin sensitivity is paramount. Here’s a sweet way to lower your risk of blood sugar problems by a whopping 36 percent, by doing just that…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Can zinc lower blood pressure?

The number one modifiable risk factor for heart disease and premature death is high blood pressure. That means if you can control it, you can greatly lower that risk. Maybe you’ve cut back on salt, started exercising and eating right. But what about your zinc levels?

Joyce Hollman

Genetic risk of glaucoma? Cut out the caffeine

This sneaky vision-stealer gives virtually no warning signs, not until peripheral vision starts to disappear. Even with treatment, many with the disease will lose vision in one eye. But even in those with a genetic predisposition, you can lower your risk… starting with caffeine.

Joyce Hollman

Milk may do your cholesterol and heart good

Milk has been given a bad rap for a long time. I’m referring to good old-fashioned cow’s milk, blamed for weight gain and heart disease. But a huge study’s found a connection between drinking milk, better cholesterol and keeping your heart strong.

Carolyn Gretton

Your breast microbiome and breast cancer risk

You’ve probably read a lot about your gut microbiome. But you may not be as aware that other parts of the body have their own microbiomes that are just as important to your health, like the connections between diet, breast microbiome, some supplements and breast cancer risk.

Easy Health Options Staff

Ischemic, hemorrhagic and mini-stroke: What to know

If there is a lack of blood flow to the brain, the brain is going to starve. That’s why there is ittle time to spare when stroke symptoms arise. Here are the differences between the two main types of stroke as well as TIA or mini-stroke…

Carolyn Gretton

Want to lose belly fat? Give tai chi a try

The gentle, flowing movements of tai chi aren’t usually the types of exercise you’d associate with losing weight or inches around your middle (where that dangerous fat collects). But a recent study suggests this seemingly sedate practice actually packs a fat-loss punch…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Is your real blood pressure problem incorrect readings?

What’s defined as high blood pressure varies depending upon who you listen to… the American Heart Association or the International Society of Hypertension. In my own practice, I typically favor the more lenient definition. But regardless of which scale you follow, getting correct readings is what really matters…

Joyce Hollman

When housework can lengthen your life as much as a workout

About 30 minutes of daily moderate exercise is ideal. It’s not easy for all of us to commit to that, but just a few hours of light physical activity can provide major benefits on par with more exercise. Just be sure to avoid the one thing that can negate them.

«SPONSORED»