Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 steps to make your resolutions stick

If you’ve set a goal for the new year, whether it’s a fitness plan, quitting smoking, drinking less or having more fun, the odds are against you. Most resolutions fall to the wayside by the 2nd Friday in January. But here are five research-backed tips that can give you your best chance…

Easy Health Options Staff

Alert: Blood pressure tablets recalled over cancer risk

Just before Christmas, the FDA announced, as a public service, that drug manufacturer Lupin Pharmaceuticals Inc. has issued a voluntary recall for Quinapril — a blood pressure-lowering medication that may contain a cancer-causing impurity. Here’s what we know…

Carolyn Gretton

Lower your blood pressure in 20 minutes without sweating

Sure, exercise will lower your blood pressure. But it’s not the only way. Have you ever wondered what people mean when they talk about mindfulness? It’s much more than mumbo jumbo. Not only does it take BP numbers down, it kickstarts a signaling molecule your body uses to do just that…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘causal link’ to Alzheimer’s you can break

Research relies on different types of studies. Some are “observational,” where researchers observe the effect of a risk factor. Then there are the ones we get really excited about. These identify an actual causal factor that, if avoided, can greatly cut your risk of something like Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

Kidney cancer is silent, until it’s not: Know the symptoms

Kidney cancer is fast becoming one of the more common cancers. It often strikes around age 65, but likely starts sooner because, in its earliest stages, kidney cancer often does not cause any noticeable symptoms. And diagnosis occurs after it has spread. Know these signs…

Jenny Smiechowski

How to reduce dementia risk by 90 percent

Exercise and brain health go hand in hand… But how much time do you have to put in to prevent the most dreaded of age-related brain diseases — dementia? Science finally has a solid answer: A recent study determined a goal you can set to obliterate your dementia risk…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Stretch away low back pain in 6 simple moves

If you’re living with low back pain, you’re not alone. And whether your pain is sharp and shooting, dull and achy or radiating, there are things you can do at home to get relief, including the 5,000-year-old practice deemed just as effective as physical therapy…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The virus no one wants that could eradicate cancer

When you think of the herpes simplex virus, not much that’s pleasant comes to mind. But what if the virus that can wreak so much havoc could also be used for good, like causing advanced tumors to disappear, shrink or stop progressing?

Joyce Hollman

What’s in your mug could lower your risk for hip fracture

A hip fracture, especially over 60, can be a nightmare. The long period of immobility that follows can bring on dangerous health complications. Calcium and vitamin D are important, but you may be shocked to know how much your coffee or tea habit may help…

Carolyn Gretton

Allergies in the wintertime: Weather as a trigger

For some people, allergies can be an issue year-round. Even when there’s frost on the ground and no pollen in the air, they’re still dealing with sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. One allergy expert points to weather as a possible trigger and what may help…

Carolyn Gretton

Why bladder problems increase with age for some women

In the United States, roughly 17 percent of women ages 20 and older suffer from urinary incontinence. While that doesn’t seem like a lot, the number skyrockets as women age. And so does overactive bladder. But why are these conditions worse for some, and where’s the relief?

Miguel Leyva

Glyphosate and thyroid cancer: Too little too late

Research into the causes of thyroid cancer is ongoing, but exposure to pesticides has long been suspected. One, in particular, glyphosate, was associated with a 33 percent increase in cases. 2023 is the year this health destroyer is supposed to be phased out. Is it too little too late?

Jenny Smiechowski

The 4-minute hack that lowers blood sugar for hours

Did you know that every time you exercise, your muscles start using more of the glucose (and fat) in your bloodstream? That’s why it’s recommended for balancing blood sugar. But what if you have high blood sugar, but no time to exercise? Try this instead…

Jenny Smiechowski

The diet that improves aging (even in nursing home residents!)

As you age, your body starts breaking down and becomes more inflamed. This leads to frailty… or what’s commonly thought of as “getting old.” You walk slower, feel creakier and just don’t have as much physical or mental spunk as you once did. But here’s something you may not know… the right diet can turn that around!

Joyce Hollman

How to put stress to work for a better brain

Stress is bad for you. Or is it? It certainly has its downsides, like increasing risks for conditions such as nausea, migraine, hypertension, heart disease and even cancer. But all stress is not the same and can, in fact, have the opposite effect…

Carolyn Gretton

Vascular dysfunction: A direct path to disease

There appears to be no end to the havoc a poor diet can wreak on the body: the heart, liver, kidneys, blood sugar, and metabolism all suffer… but the damage a bad diet does to your blood vessels provides a direct path for that destruction and more.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Aortic aneurysm: A reason to check blood pressure in both arms

Getting your blood pressure checked is simply a routine procedure to be sure your heart is effortlessly pumping blood like it’s supposed to. But if your doctor is only checking one arm, you could be at higher risk for heart attack, stroke or sudden death and not even know…

Carolyn Gretton

How flavonols put the brakes on memory decline

What’s considered normal memory decline with age is not as disruptive as Alzheimer’s or dementia. But still, who wouldn’t like to maintain strong mental faculties as long as possible? If you’re getting plenty of this nutrient, you’ll keep a sharp brain at any age…

Carolyn Gretton

The condition that can skyrocket your risk for AMD

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is on the rise as the population grows older. And as more is learned about how it can steal our vision, research is also revealing connections to other conditions that can increase the risk of the blinding eye disease even more…

Joyce Hollman

‘Good’ cholesterol’s role as heart health predictor challenged

The fact that “good” cholesterol, AKA HDL cholesterol, is beneficial to heart health is just that, a long-standing fact. But sometimes facts bear re-examining. That’s because HDL may not be the harbinger of heart health we once thought, at least not for everyone.

Joyce Hollman

The diet that doubles fat loss and reduces disease risk

The traditional Mediterranean diet is well known for its benefits that lead to longevity, partly by improving heart health and weight. Hard to believe it could get any better than that, but hold onto your hat… Find out how to double visceral fat loss and drop disease risk, even more!

Joyce Hollman

Common chemical found to drive heart disease and early death

Chemicals are an invasive part of our lives that we have a hard time avoiding. Many of them can make our lives easier, but that luxury demands a high price. In fact, we’re paying with our lives… 100,000 a year to be exact, lost to heart disease and early death. But you may be more shocked to learn how you’re exposed to this killer chemical…

Carolyn Gretton

The beverage that helps prevent calcified arteries

We’ve known for some time that coffee and green tea are exeptional health-promoting beverages. But you may be less aware of the significant heart protection another common drink offers. Researchers have discovered a daily cup can protect against this indicator of heart attack and stroke…

Carolyn Gretton

How phthalates can trigger abnormal growths in women

A growing body of research is showing how dangerous phthalates are to our health. But one hazard in particular that women need to be aware of when it comes to these widespread pollutants strikes at a very personal level…

Joyce Hollman

How a salty diet literally ‘stresses you out’

You know salt promotes high blood pressure and increases the risks for heart problems, including stroke. But did you know sodium can literally stress you out? Research says that alone can wreak havoc on your health in ways you never thought…

Joyce Hollman

Limiting protein: A strategy for cancer treatment and prevention

The search for a cure for cancer is proving to be a long-term effort, but experts are honing in on the mechanisms by which cancer cells grow and spread. Nutrition, especially, has often been examined as a possible path for preventing cancer. Now it may also treat it…

Dr. Mark Wiley

Chlorella: Mother Nature’s superfood miracle

Chlorella is a true superfood, packed with amino acids, minerals, vitamins and other nutrients that support the health of the body. If you are seriously ill, suffering a modern-lifestyle disease or an athlete looking to perform and feel better, chlorella may offer just the boost you need.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Busting the myths about screentime, blue light and sleep

You’ve probably heard all the warnings about cutting down on screentime at bedtime to avoid blue light, especially if you hope to get a good night’s sleep. Not so fast. It turns out you can have your iPad, phone or TV, and your sleep too if you just follow a few simple rules…

Dr. Mark Wiley

Acai: Miracle of wellness

Acai is reported to be a miracle fruit that can work wonders for arthritis, cholesterol, obesity, heart health, digestion, energy, erectile dysfunction, inflammation, detoxification, diabetes, allergies, bloating, muscle cramps and oxidative stress. But how can one fruit do all that?

Joyce Hollman

8 holiday depression triggers and how to work around them

The Christmas season can be a double-edged sword. It brings with it feelings of love, togetherness and joy. But many people find themselves stepping around emotional landmines that trigger feelings of anxiety and depression. Here are some healthy ways to cope and have a truly rewarding holiday season…

Joyce Hollman

Why are Americans getting clean with a cancer-causing chemical Canada has banned?

Have you taken a good look at the ingredient list on your shampoo lately? How about your toothpaste? I’m willing to bet there’s an ingredient they all have in common. The problem? It’s a harsh chemical the Environmental Protection Agency considers a “probable human carcinogen.”

Jenny Smiechowski

Can you catch cancer, heart disease, and lung disease?

Did you know that 70 percent of deaths worldwide are caused by just three lifestyle diseases — heart disease, cancer and lung disease? But what if lifestyle wasn’t the whole story behind so-called “lifestyle” diseases? What if there was something else causing these diseases… something contagious?

Joyce Hollman

Say goodbye to this food group to say goodnight to insomnia

It’s also no secret that refined carbs like white bread, soda, white rice, and pastries with their added sugar, have a high glycemic index. Eating them raises blood sugar much too rapidly, setting us up for heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But that’s not all they do…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How much you have to walk each week to lose weight

Hands-down, one of the easiest exercises to fit into your life is walking. In fact, when you choose to walk your way to weight loss, you don’t need special equipment, a gym membership, or expensive new clothes. You just get going. But how far do you actually need to walk to lose weight?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

There’s something in your bottled water slowing every heartbeat

You stop to grab a quick drink and see all those colorful soda cans and bottles behind those frosty refrigerated glass doors. You’re tempted, but you stick to bottled water for your health’s sake. But you might have just picked a heart attack waiting to happen…

Joyce Hollman

Two things that will help ease your back pain and sleep problems

This may seem obvious, but chronic back pain can wreak havoc on your ability to get a good night’s sleep. Many people turn to both pain medication and sleeping pills. But taking sleep and pain medications together can be a recipe for disaster. Boston Medical Center found two things that work…

Joyce Hollman

Your risk of 7 different cancers is just a walk away

METs stands for metabolic equivalents. Using METs is a way of comparing the energy expenditure of different activities. One MET is defined as the energy you use when you’re resting or sitting still. When I climb the stairs, I could be expending as much as 4 METs. When they add up, you send cancer walking.

Jenny Smiechowski

10 nutrients you’re probably not eating enough of

Researchers have identified 10 vitamins, minerals and nutrients most of us aren’t getting enough of in our diets. In some cases, you may want to take a supplement to get your levels of these nutrients up to snuff. In other cases, you may not. Either way, make sure you don’t ignore these critical nutrients…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Proven protection for your brain’s gray matter

Certain areas of your brain may be more at risk and play a bigger role in cognitive decline as they lose volume with each passing year, especially your brain’s grey matter. As it shrinks, so can your ability to remain independent. But you can pump it up…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 health problems your feet warn you about

Having a little foot pain here and there is not generally something you need to worry about. However, If you live with certain types of foot pain, day in and day out, there could be something more going on. That’s because certain health problems cause foot symptoms that you should never ignore, like these…

Joyce Hollman

Seeking volunteers to control chronic pain

Chronic pain can bring depression and a feeling of hopelessness. It can even cause changes in your brain that can lead to cognitive decline. So the connection between pain and your brain go hand in hand. What if those pain centers of the brain could be deactivated? Would you volunteer to see how it works?

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The weight loss trap that tanks testosterone

Living with low T can lead to far more than feeling older and more out of shape than you would like. In fact, low testosterone in men is linked to a higher risk of death from heart disease and other causes. One of the easiest ways to boost it is through weight loss, unless you make this very common diet mistake…

Jenny Smiechowski

Can you run your way to younger blood vessels?

Vascular age is the “age” of your arteries based on the condition they’re in. You could be sixty with the arteries of an eighty-year-old, or vice versa. As you can imagine, vascular age is pretty important, because it impacts your risk of cardiovascular disease. So, let’s talk about turning the clock back on them…

Jenny Smiechowski

The common and serious lung disease tied to sleep habits

A network of body clocks regulates pretty much every bodily function. They create circadian rhythms (bodily changes that run on a daily cycle, triggered by light and darkness) and make sure everything’s on time. One clock, in particular, takes care of your lungs, where your sleep habits could wreak havoc…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

These foods do to your brain what drugs do to an addict

73 percent of Americans are carrying around an unhealthy amount of weight. That’s a shocking statistic because it directly connects to ever-rising rates of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension and more. It’s not all our faults though. We are being addicted to disease-causing foods…

Joyce Hollman

The heart attack common denominator that’s bigger than cholesterol

While one in 31 American women dies from breast cancer each year, heart disease is the real threat, killing one out of every three of us. We associate fatal coronary heart disease with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and blocked arteries. But there’s another factor we’ve known about for years that’s taken a back seat…

Jenny Smiechowski

How to get the blood sugar benefits of the keto diet without giving up carbs

Research shows that people with diabetes who follow keto have lower blood sugar and need less insulin. The keto diet also reduces the risk of diabetes for people who don’t already have it. Is that enough to make you throw away your bread and pasta? Maybe. Maybe not. If you love your carbs, I have good news…

Joyce Hollman

Nature’s answer to disease-causing air pollution found on the produce aisle

Exposure to air pollution can cause heart disease, stroke, cancer, kidney disease, even diabetes. It can infect your brain and dramatically increase your chances of Alzheimer’s. So run, don’t walk, to the nearest produce aisle and start eating the tiny veggie that can help eliminate these deadly toxins from your body.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why sex can delay menopause

Having sex regularly comes with a long list of health benefits. For starters, sex can help lower your risk of heart attack and boost your immune system. But women may find this the best benefit of all…

Jenny Smiechowski

The simple habit that makes more space in your brain

Do you ever feel like you need more space in your brain? The fact is… all of us put far too much pressure on our brains. That can lead to burnout, exhaustion, depression and even break downs. But researchers uncovered a way to take some pressure off your brain, so it works better…

Joyce Hollman

This ‘sure thing’ adds more years to your life

Behavior and lifestyle choices can increase the odds you’ll live a long and healthy life. But, according to research, there’s one behavior a woman can engage in that will grant her more years, and more health to enjoy them…

Joyce Hollman

Why snow shoveling can spell a heart attack even if you’re healthy

Snow shoveling can be a great muscle stretcher and calorie burner. But you may not know that it places great demands on your cardiovascular system, as high, in fact, as a cardiac stress test on a treadmill or bicycle. That’s just one way it increases heart attack and even stroke risk if you’re not careful…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The artificial sweetener pitfall that packs on pounds and leads to disease

Isn’t it funny how when big corporations start selling something that’s supposedly good for your health, it so often turns out to be far worse for you than your original problem? Well, that’s exactly the case when it comes to artificial sweeteners.

Jenny Smiechowski

The convenient way food labels may make it easier to say ‘no’

Calorie counting isn’t just about weight loss. Overdoing calories for a long time can increase risks for diseases like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Something easier to count? How about how much you’d have to exercise to work off your food?

Joyce Hollman

Is aspirin the simple answer to migraine?

The Migraine Research Foundation tells us that 12 percent of the U.S. population suffers from migraines. And stroke risk is doubled for at least a quarter of them. Now, a review of research shows an inexpensive and easily available remedy could be the key to treatment and prevention…

Jenny Smiechowski

Is the secret to stroke recovery in your gut?

Nothing can prepare you for a stroke. It’s sudden. And it’s scary. And there are no promises when it comes to recovery. But what if there was a way to make sure that, if you had a stroke, the repercussions would be less severe, and you would recover quicker?

Joyce Hollman

Essential oils for cuts, scrapes and wounds

Long before Big Pharma was around, essential oils were used to control pain, ease stress and stimulate the immune system to fight colds and flu. Research continues into the ways that essential oils can make us healthier, including their power to control inflammation and help wounds heal quickly and safely.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 Supplements to ward off all that winter throws at you

When winter rolls around, in addition to stocking up our medicine cabinet, I stock up our vitamin cabinet with supplements that get us through the season happier and healthier — and hopefully unscathed. Here are our five ‘can’t be without’ supplements for winter…

Jenny Smiechowski

What’s behind diabetes’ strong connection to heart failure?

There’s a connection between diabetes and heart health… no doubt about it… People with diabetes are more likely to develop heart disease. They’re more likely to have a heart attack. They’re more likely to go into heart failure. Why?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

They failed their weight loss study and still lost 16 pounds

A whopping 54 percent of the resolutions made on January 1st involve weight loss goals. Unfortunately, only about 8 percent hold up. But, don’t give up… A little-known study found you don’t have to stick to a certain diet or give up as much as you think to lose considerable weight…

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