Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Virginia Tims-Lawson

There’s more than meets the eye about how our arteries harden

Hardening of the arteries seems to be one of those things we just expect with age. It can destroy heart function, lead to heart attack, even death. But we’ve learned more about the process that causes arteries to harden, and that’s valuable information if you want to try to avoid this killer…

Joyce Hollman

How to keep night shift from dragging your health down

Night shift workers are prone to health risks based on the fact that their work hours are in direct contradiction to their circadian rhythm. From higher BMI to depression, these conditions can drag health down fast. Is the solution as easy as when to eat?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

‘Stepping away’ from chronic disease varies by condition

It’s no secret that more time spent sitting than moving shortens lives. That’s why experts encourage us to count our steps. They even nailed down how many daily steps you need to prevent a multitude of chronic diseases, ranging from obesity to depression, heart disease to GERD and more…

Carolyn Gretton

The diabetes side effect no one talks about

Sex. It’s a topic that’s all over TV, film and social media. Unfortunately, it’s one that many of us are uncomfortable discussing personally. And if you have diabetes, you may not even be aware that your blood sugar problems not only mess with your health but are also behind problems in the bedroom…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Sex after 60: if you’re not doing it, you should be

Who says sex after 60 stops? If you think you’re supposed to leave all that behind after a certain birthday, you’d be mistaken. Researchers say an active sex life can offer benefits that can make your life more satisfying with age, and they have some tips to help you get it on…

Easy Health Options Staff

COPD: What to know about your prematurely aged immune system

COPD is an umbrella term for a group of incurable inflammatory lung disorders. It carries higher risk for other serious conditions such as heart disease, memory loss, stroke or diabetes. But less has been known about its connection to vitamin deficiency and an aged immune system…

Joyce Hollman

Two mistakes to avoid (like your life depends on it) when you retire

If you’re newly retired, or will be soon, some planning probably went into how you’ll spend this chapter of your life. Your finances may have been at the top of your list. But before you check anything off, be sure you don’t make the two mistakes that don’t leave room for second chances…

Jedha Dening

Cholesterol drugs: Prescription for disease?

When a physician suggests a medication, you trust them. You’d never expect them to prescribe a drug that may not actually work — much less one with links to other diseases. But that’s just what has happened…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The easiest way to drop your stroke risk by almost 50%

Some of us feel powerless about improving our odds of living long lives without the physical limitations that can make us dependent on others. A stroke is a perfect example of the kind of event that can change everything in an instant. But you can do something incredibly simple to lower that risk…

Carolyn Gretton

The after-stroke danger to be aware of: ‘Sticky’ blood vessels

It’s well-known that stroke can cause damage to the brain. But once the stroke is treated, it seems logical that the damage would stop there. Unfortunately, researchers have discovered a process deep within your body that can lead to more destruction. But it may be possible to dial it back…

Carolyn Gretton

DIM: The short answer to a long list of midlife ailments

In our 40s, our list of health concerns begins to grow. It doesn’t take long before that shortlist gets longer and longer. It would be easy to get overwhelmed trying to rein them all in, unless you’re familiar with one powerful phytonutrient that tackles them all, including hormone imbalance, sluggish metabolism, immune health and so much more…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

It’s not your diet: Why breathing is making us fat

Nothing is more frustrating than seeing numbers on a scale tipping in the wrong direction, no matter how much calorie counting you’ve done. Is it your diet? Hormones? Or the air you breathe? It’s not high in calories, but it’s high in something else science says packs on the pounds…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Heart disease: Not as sexist as you thought

Unless you grew up in a family where mothers and grandmothers suffered heart attack, like mine, I can see why many think heart disease is a man’s disease. But once you know what fueled the stereotype, you’ll understand
it’s an equal opportunity threat..

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Pomegranate: The fruit fueling cancer-fighting cells

This juicy red fruit is packed with antioxidants and possesses rich levels of a compound found to revive aging and defective mitochondria to help keep muscles stronger longer and extend lifespan. Now its cancer-fighting potential has gotten the attention of the scientific community…

Joyce Hollman

A family history of disease? It matters much less in your 50s

If mom, dad or granddad had cancer or diabetes, most of us believe we’ll suffer the same fate. Well, you can worry a lot less about that if you’ve reached 55. That may seem counter to everything you think you know about aging. But it could be a game-changer if you’re ready to play.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

For an immune system like a 20-year-old, do this one thing

Isn’t aging grand? Not only do you have to worry about wrinkles, blood sugar problems, osteoporosis, hormones and a laundry list of other issues, but there’s a reason your immune system just doesn’t function like it used to either. That one’s easier to fix…

Jenny Smiechowski

6 things muscle cramps say about your health

Muscle cramps are a common problem with a lot of potential causes. But no matter what’s causing your muscle cramps, regular cramping isn’t something you should ignore. It’s your body’s way of telling you something’s not right…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The cholesterol drugs giving you cataracts

Lipitor is the biggest-selling drug in the history of the pharmaceutical industry, even though the evidence for using statins to lower heart attack and stroke is not as strong as once thought. But, if you’re a statin-taker, you know they do far more than just that…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Women’s biggest benefit from intermittent fasting: Lower cancer risk

For women, just getting older increases the risk of breast cancer. Being overweight takes it up a few notches. Those odds double down after 50 if you carry extra weight and the change steals your sleep. How can you upset the odds? Change when you eat…

Jenny Smiechowski

The surprising food that supports your aging memory most

Memory problems are often considered an unavoidable consequence of old age. “Senior moments” are an expected and even comical part of getting older. We create memes, books and birthday cards about them. But even though most of us can laugh about it, you don’t want it to happen to you…

Joyce Hollman

5 reasons you wake up at night and how to stop

Insomnia is commonly thought of as the inability to fall asleep. But if you find yourself sound asleep, only to wake up at 2 a.m. to stare at the ceiling for hours, you’re dealing with a phenomenon called “middle insomnia.” Here are five reasons it might be happening…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Purple tomato boosted with 10x the cancer-fighting antioxidants

A purple cancer-fighting tomato is making headlines. Its beautiful hue is the result of antioxidant pigments naturally found in berries which exert powerful benefits by mopping up dangerous free radicals. But are GMO antioxidants any better than organic ones?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The ‘diet’ fruit that makes you feel full faster

If you’re looking to lose weight, don’t fall into the low-fat trap. That’s not only difficult, but for men a low-fat diet can lead to low T and tank a healthy libido. Instead opt for this diet “fruit” with the good fat that make you feel full enough to push back from the table sooner…

Jenny Smiechowski

The superstar antioxidant that stops osteoarthritis in its tracks

Osteoarthritis is a pain in the butt, or more accurately, the knee, hip, hand, neck or back. The loss of cartilage in these areas leads to painful bone rubbing that can prevent you from doing all sorts of everyday activities. Unfortunately, doctors can’t help much, but there is a promising antioxidant that not only relieves the pain but could stop osteoarthritis from progressing…

Joyce Hollman

Lutein and zeaxanthin: Protection far beyond your eyes

Lutein and zeaxanthin are carotenoids known for supporting vision health. That’s why mom made sure you ate your carrots. But even mom didn’t know then that this duo’s protection could go far beyond, extending benefits from your brain to your bones and more.

Joyce Hollman

Is your doctor prescribing you drugs on the ‘danger list’?

There are a few classes of drugs you should be wary of… they can cloud your mind, reduce your abilities and they’re slow to leave your system. That increases risk of injury. What do you do if your doctor prescribes them? Try this…

Jenny Smiechowski

To protect your brain, watch where you get your calcium

The older you get, the higher your risk of developing osteoporosis. And taking a calcium supplement can help curb that risk. But, it turns out, taking a calcium supplement for healthy bones could put another crucial body part at risk…

Joyce Hollman

When sound drives you crazy: Misophonia, tinnitus, phonophobia and more

Do certain sounds make your skin crawl? Do you anticipate with dread that one repetitive sound that you know could push you over the edge? Or do you hear constant noise that has no external source? You may be suffering from one of these conditions — and you’re not alone…

Joyce Hollman

Weight or inches: Which matters most for heart health?

There’s no doubt that being overweight is bad for your heart, upping the odds as much as 60 percent. But some obese people have better cardiovascular health than people of healthy weight. Here’s what makes them heart-healthier than someone of normal weight…

Joyce Hollman

Your stress score could increase cancer risk almost 2.5 times

Stress signals the body to produce the hormone cortisol at times when you need it, like to meet a deadline. But chronic, ongoing stressors that never allow your cortisol to ‘come down’ cause wear and tear on your body at a biological level. And that’s only good for cancer…

Joyce Hollman

Research confirms: Less butter and more olive oil lowers your heart disease risk

A new study takes a closer look at whether eating more olive oil, one of the main components of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with a lowered risk of heart disease here in the United States. But what about other plant-based oils?

Joyce Hollman

Middle age is the perfect time for women to lower their stroke risk

75 is the average age for a first stroke in women. But could making midlife lifestyle changes significantly reduce the number and severity of strokes in women who are of middle age and beyond? The results of a 25-year study shed some pretty compelling evidence on that question…

Margaret Cantwell

Can supplements battle COVID-19 or diabetes, cancer, heart and liver disease?

A friend shared information on social media the other day about vitamin C. It could just as easily have been a post about vitamin D… or zinc. Or any nutrient we’ve been told all our lives promotes good health. Then the trolls attacked. How did we get to a place where nutrition is the enemy?

Jenny Smiechowski

April showers bring May flowers… but they also bring major gut trouble

Spring is my favorite season. Where I live, it means birds chirping, flowers sprouting, trees budding and rain — lots of it. But a recent study found that heavy spring rainfall in one American city caused cases of acute gastrointestinal illness to double! What’s that about? And could it happen where you live?

Jenny Smiechowski

The best way to feed your muscles so you don’t lose them with age

If you’re like most people, you’re not a planner when it comes to protein… Some meals you eat lots of protein. Other meals you don’t eat much. But you figure it all evens out in end. Unfortunately, that assumption could cost you something very important — your muscles.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 things to watch to keep your migraines from going chronic

There’s not much that’s more miserable than a migraine… The pain that comes with one alone is bad enough, but the nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and the fact that one can steal days and days of your life is like adding insult to injury, something I know all too well.

Joyce Hollman

Can magnetic therapy draw you out of depression?

If you’re suffering with clinically diagnosed, long-term depression, every single aspect of your life is altered. Depression can rule your days. And you may or may not be aware of the dangers associated with SSRIs. Good news is Stanford is seeing great results with a drug-free treatment…

Jenny Smiechowski

Does your vitamin D level play a role in your COVID-19 risk?

There’s no denying that vitamin D plays an important role in your immune system. Vitamin D helps regulate immune response and, specifically, helps your body determine when it needs to send out its immune defenders… Can vitamin D reduce the risk and/or severity of COVID-19?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The condiment that raises your blood pressure lowers your immune response

You’ve heard you should avoid too much salt in your diet because it could lead to blood pressure problems. The tasty condiment can be a double-edged sword, delivering great taste with real danger. And now there’s one more reason to watch your salt intake closer than ever before…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to improve your odds of recovery following a stroke

Stroke is the leading cause of long-term disability in the U.S., predominately striking older adults and reducing mobility in half of those survivors. Despite these bleak statistics, researchers have found a way to improve recovery that could improve life after a stroke…

Dr. Keith Scott-Mumby

Top 9 natural antibiotic foods and herbs

Antibiotic alternatives have been around for millennia before penicillin was discovered. These 9 antibiotic alternative foods and herbs haven’t lost their ability to fight bacteria, parasites, viruses, and fungi.

Jenny Smiechowski

Overlapping respiratory infections means your doctor could mistakenly clear you of COVID-19

One of the trickiest parts about the COVID-19 crisis is diagnosis. There are a lot of barriers — the shortage of tests, the severity and variety of symptoms, the overwhelm of the medical community and the fact that one in five people with COVID-19 has another virus that may steal the diagnosis…

Joyce Hollman

Is laughter really the best medicine?

The truth is, laughing is healthy. A good laugh offers a healthy distraction from anger, guilt, stress and other negative emotions, something we all could use right about now. But you may be shocked at what it can do for the backbone of your immune system…

Jenny Smiechowski

The downside to the ‘use it or lose it’ approach to a better brain

Plenty of studies show that “mind exercises” can improve memory, reasoning and processing speed to some degree or another. But one of the more recent studies shows we shouldn’t put too much stock in mental exercise, especially if we want to live longer…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Common stomach drugs that can lead to memory problems

More than 15 million people in the U.S. take proton pump inhibitors to control digestives symptoms of heartburn, acid reflux or GERD. But these medications can bypass the blood-brain barrier, and that’s a problem…

Jenny Smiechowski

This popular pest killer kills more than mosquitos

They’re all around us… in yard and garden insecticides, in flea and tick treatments you put on your pets and even in bug spray you use on yourself. They’re in lice shampoo. Unfortunately, these common chemicals aren’t just killing mosquitos… they’re increasing disease and death rates among humans…

Joyce Hollman

How that “spare tire” is connected with deadly prostate cancer

Research tells us that being overweight increases a person’s risk of at least 13 types of cancer. Now add #14, a fast-killing cancer that only men can get. If you’re a man in your 50s carrying extra pounds around your waist, the likelihood that you’ll die of this cancer is even greater…

Jenny Smiechowski

How intermittent fasting keeps diabetes, heart disease and cancer away

The benefits of intermittent fasting seem almost too good to be true… It can rid belly fat, slow aging and reduce the risk of serious diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. But how can skipping meals have so many benefits? It comes down to one organ…

Dr. Elizabeth Klodas MD, FACC

Using food to boost immunity — for Coronavirus and beyond

The immune system is complex and comprised of many components. And it can be supported to function at its best — and at every level. Several vitamins and nutrients are vital for that but are typically under-consumed by most Americans. Learn more in Dr. Klodas’ video chat…

Joyce Hollman

The best healthy ‘comfort food’ for difficult times

It’s April, and spring is in the air, but in New England it can still feel like winter. That’s just one reason that comfort food has been on my mind…The other is that the world is a little haywire right now. Agreed? Join me in a bowl of the perfect comfort food…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The toxic byproducts lurking in your drinking water linked to cancer

The most common method of disinfecting drinking water in the U.S. involves chlorine. There’s no doubt that doing so has been beneficial against disease. But killing bacteria isn’t all chlorinating our water is doing… It’s also producing previously unidentified toxic byproducts.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 types of pain that could signal a dangerous health problem

We all get little aches and pains. Like when we sleep wrong and wake up with a stiff neck. Or push a little too hard on the treadmill. However, it’s important to know that some types of pain can be indicators of far more serious issues and shouldn’t be ignored.

Joyce Hollman

Why art therapy may be what you need right now

After reading some recent research into just how “doing art” affects the brain and the emotions, whether you consider yourself “good at art” or not, you may want to grab the kid’s coloring books and crayons or just start doodling away…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surprising cause of death in women that’s jumped 85 percent

Alcohol-related deaths in the U. S. have risen sharply. However, women are far outstripping the men in this morbid race. While deaths in men went up by 35 percent over time, researchers want to know what’s fueling the shocking increase for women and how to stop it…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘extra’ benefits of an at-home fitness routine during social distancing

As the COVID-19 pandemic runs its course, we’re being advised to stay at home as much as we can. But this shouldn’t mean that we let our physical fitness fall by the wayside. In fact, now more than ever, it’s important to find some simple, do-able ways to keep moving.

Jenny Smiechowski

The painful reason not to fill an opioid prescription from your dentist

There are obvious problems with prescribing opioids for tooth pain. The biggest being the potential for addiction and side effects. But beyond these problems with opioids in dentistry, there’s a very surprising one that proves it’s not worth any of these risks…

Jenny Smiechowski

3 health conditions that should make you think twice about surgery if you’re a senior

Surgery is never something to go into lightly. It’s a major event that puts your body under a lot of stress. So it’s important to weigh the risks and benefits carefully, especially if you’re over 65 and have one of these three health conditions which makes it far more dangerous…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How your sports history could lead to erectile dysfunction problems

My uncle played football all through school. His dream was to go pro so he put all he had into every game. Looking back, he wishes he had never even played. Yet every day, his body painfully reminds him he did. Now men like him face another problem from their glory days…

Jenny Smiechowski

How stress changes your metabolism to gain weight and develop diabetes

We’ve all been told a million times that managing stress is an important part of taking care of your health. But how seriously do you really take this advice? I’m here to tell you that ignoring stress is a big mistake — one that sets off a sequence of events that sends your health down the tubes.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The ‘other’ condition that can put you on the danger list for COVID-19 and flu

About 50 percent of the Amerian population fits into a surprising category that could increase their severity of not only flu infection, but also coronavirus. Just like heart disease, diabetes and lung diseases, if you are in this group, take extra precautions…

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