Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Good news for your bones if you’ve passed menopause

Saying the word “menopause” immediately conjures up images of hot flashes, night sweats and bones becoming frail and prone to fracture. However, while menopause isn’t always a walk in the park, everything post menopause isn’t always bad news…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

12-year study finds 8 foods to beat cognitive decline

More evidence is stacking up that, when it comes to keeping your brain at its best, what you eat counts. According to research that spanned 12 years, there are eight foods you’ll want to make a part of your regular diet if you want to ward off cognitive impairment and dementia as you age — and one to avoid like the plague…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Short of breath? It could be COVID-19 heart damage

If you’ve recovered from even a mild bout with COVID-19, you know that even the weeks and months following an initial infection are no walk in the park. But if it’s been a year and a walk in the park leaves you breathless, you may not be scot-free quite yet. It could be a sign of problems you need to watch closely…

Joyce Hollman

Got 10 hours? Use it to turn metabolic syndrome around

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of symptoms affecting one-third of American adults that increases risk for diabetes, heart disease and stroke. If you have excess belly fat, high cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar, you may be one of them. If you’ve got 10 hours, you can turn it around before it’s too late.

Jenny Smiechowski

Reversing age-related brain shrinkage is easier than you think

As you get older, the size of a certain vital organ becomes more and more important — your brain. That’s because, typically, the older you get, the smaller your brain volume gets. And if this shrinkage gets too out of hand, you end up with a serious cognitive impairment like dementia.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why cool temps could slow down autoimmune diseases like MS

By definition an autoimmune disorder is one in which your own immune system goes haywire, attacking the healthy tissue in your body, causing the disease. MS is one such disease. New research shows its symptoms may be improved and progress prossibly slowed with a change of temperature. Here’s why…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

New way walnuts improve cholesterol discovered

From controlling type 2 diabetes to stopping cancer in its tracks, if you want to stay in tip-top shape, nuts could be your ticket to a longer, healthier life. And it looks like the benefits of walnuts just keep stacking up, especially where heart health is concerned…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Women with long COVID may need extra help regaining activity levels

You’ve certainly heard of long Covid, the phenomenon where people “recover” from the virus that causes COVID-19 but are left with a laundry list of symptoms. However, what you might not know is that if you’re a woman living with long Covid, you may have an extra hard time getting back to normal life, especially if you enjoyed an active lifestyle.

Joyce Hollman

How to tell if it’s age-related memory problems or Alzheimer’s

Memory problems can be unnerving, especially when we get older. It’s easy to begin second-guessing everything and wondering whether you’re simply forgetful or if something worse is happening — like Alzheimer’s. How can you tell the difference? Here are a few things to take note of…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising connection between MS and the sun

Sun exposure may be rough on the skin, but it has a lot of upsides for our sleep, mood and vitamin D levels. And now researchers are discovering that the benefits of sunlight may go even further by protecting us from certain autoimmune diseases…

Carolyn Gretton

Catching AMD before you start losing vision

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of sight loss in the Western world. And most people don’t know they have it until they’re already losing their sight. Researchers have been looking for ways to catch AMD before that point, and they may have identified some new early warning signs that can help them do it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

10 steps to simplify living heart healthy

To lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, we’re told to eat a heart-healthy diet. What exactly is heart-healthy? Is it only eating certain types of foods and eliminating others? Or is there a way to get to that elusive heart-healthy status without feeling deprived? Yes, according to these new rules…

Joyce Hollman

11 exotic superfruits with supersized nutrition

Instead of dreaming of tropical islands this winter, why not try some exotic fruits that hail from warmer climates? Here are 11 exotic “superfruits” that are fun to try, and packed with enough nutritional power to dispel the winter doldrums and most anything else that ails you…

Carolyn Gretton

Why more men are getting thyroid cancer

It’s been known for some time that people who are overweight or obese have a higher risk of getting certain cancers, including thyroid cancer. But it’s been unclear exactly how many cases of thyroid cancer are connected with weight — until now — and the findings should be a wake up call, especially for men…

Joyce Hollman

Study finds inflammatory foods feed Alzheimer’s and dementia

Research shows inflammation is a driving force behind obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Now research is stacking up that connects it with Alzheimer’s and dementia. The good news? Foods feed that inflammation in a dose-dependent manner and a change of diet could make a big difference.

Joyce Hollman

Weird causes and signs of low blood pressure

Low blood pressure, or hypotension, comes with its own set of troublesome symptoms. And, just like high blood pressure, it may also be a signal of other things going wrong in the body — surprisingly enough, even with your thyroid…

Carolyn Gretton

How grains can dash diabetes by more than 30 percent

The average American eats less than one daily serving of whole grains, and some studies show that over 40 percent of Americans never eat whole grains at all. When you know what whole grains can do for blood sugar, it’s no wonder so many Americans are in trouble…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The unexpected truth behind AFib triggers

AFib skyrockets your stroke risk. By throwing your heart out of rhythm, the condition can result in blood clots being released, blocking blood flow to your brain. If that wasn’t bad enough, strokes caused by AFib tend to be more severe than strokes from other causes. That’s why getting to the truth about AFib triggers is vitally important…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Best reason to exercise: rebuilding your body to live healthy longer

Aging means slowing down, doing less and retiring, right? Wrong! According to research from Harvard, if you’re taking it easier as the years pass, you’re missing out on processes in the body that can actually build your body back stronger and fight disease to help you live healthier and longer…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

An unexpected perk of housework: Healthy aging

Need a reason to stop procrastinating when it comes to household chores and get that sweeping, vacuuming and dusting done? A study looked at housework specifically for its ability to increase the amount of physical activity people get, and found quite a few unexpected perks that promote healthy aging…

Carolyn Gretton

The surprising habit that weakens your pelvic floor (and we all do it!)

Sucking in our stomachs can seem normal, especially for women. But it turns out it’s not exactly healthy for us to be holding in our stomachs all the time. Read on to discover the dark side of “stomach gripping” and why it might have you running to the nearest restroom faster…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The FODMAP diet: Reducing symptoms and disease-causing bacteria

The FODMAP diet has been found to reduce the symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome. But it wasn’t clearly understood how. Well, now we know. We also know that many people with IBS have a very unique microbial signature that’s downright dangerous…

Carolyn Gretton

15 chemicals linked to early menopause

It’s long been known that following menopause, women face an elevated risk of numerous health problems. But for women who experience early menopause (before the age of 50), the risks carry an extra wallop. And unfortunately, outside factors are contributing to this phenomenon…

Carolyn Gretton

‘Altered metabolites’ could be causing your migraines

Researchers have identified a connection between a genetic link and altered metabolites that appears to increase susceptibility to migraine. Good news is, to correct these metabolites and hopefully cut down on the painful condition, they’re looking at diet and a particular supplement that’s already shown major promise…

Joyce Hollman

The confusing way iron levels factor into Alzheimer’s

Iron is an essential nutrient. Iron deficiency anemia is all too common, especially in women and people over 65. But iron overload can also lead to serious health concerns. This conundrum is plaguing research over the past five years that has discovered a complicated relationship between iron levels and Alzheimer’s…

Joyce Hollman

The chemicals causing high cholesterol

We’ve known about the harmful effects of phthalates for some time now. They disrupt our hormones. They also cause thousands of deaths from heart disease each year. A new study has shown exactly how a specific chemical works in our bodies to raise cholesterol and cause heart disease.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Does your blood type increase your risk for certain diseases?

A Japanese concept called ketsueki-gata suggests that blood type shapes personality. The Blood Type Diet suggests certain foods may be healthier based on blood type. And while research on the validity of these concepts may be lacking, science is learning that blood type may influence disease risks…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The link between vitamin D, inflammation and COVID-19

Researchers are all still learning what can be done to stack the odds against COVID-19. Quite a bit of research has been stacking up — including recommendations about vitamin D. The latest? It may help shut down dangerous inflammation in patients with severe infection…

Easy Health Options Staff

Flurona: What is it and what to watch for

Months and months ago we warned that the fall and winter months were expected to be a little rocky thanks to the combination of COVID-19 and a potentially nasty flu season. There was concern the viruses could muddy diagnoses and delay effective treatment. But things have gotten more confusing…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 scary facts about flu and your heart

You might have heard the news that a bad flu season might be just around the corner. But while getting the flu might leave you worried that you’ll suffer from a complication like pneumonia, bronchitis or a bacterial infection of the lungs, most of us don’t think about what it’s doing to our heart.

Dr. Geo Espinosa

What you should know about penis pain

Penile pain is a delicate subject, pun intended. It’s a subject that most men don’t talk about. But the presence of pain can be serious and should not be ignored…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Late nights lead to diabetes and heart disease

Being an early riser or a night owl can influence your health, uncovering a growing body of evidence indicating an evening preference leads to very serious health risks. In fact, being an evening person increases your risk of both heart disease and diabetes, and here’s why…

Jenny Smiechowski

The black nut that fights inflammation, obesity and more

If you’re a true health-nut (or even a part-time health nut), there’s one food you should always have on hand — nuts. Especially one that contains several essential fatty acids, antioxidants, minerals like magnesium and potassium and a bona fide disease buster…

Joyce Hollman

New medication brings hope to migraine sufferers

Migraine headaches affect ten percent of the world’s population. That means that one in every ten people you meet — maybe even you — suffers from attacks of debilitating pain on one side of their head that are often accompanied by slurred speech, nausea, and vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and sound.

Jenny Smiechowski

How to hypnotize your bowel problems away

Most people don’t think of irritable bowel syndrome as a serious condition. They think it’s a bit of diarrhea, constipation or both. Nothing you need to worry about too much. But for those with the most severe cases it feels very serious…

Joyce Hollman

Why you should have a living will and how to get one

We’re reluctant to talk about the end of our life, let alone plan for it. Seems like tempting the fates. In reality, though, it is one of the smartest things you can do, not only for your benefit, but for the peace of mind and well-being of your family and friends.

Margaret Cantwell

8 great nutrients that will keep your brain from short-circuiting

As we age, we begin to focus on what can help us gracefully enter our senior years. So, let me share what science now knows about eight specific nutrients you want swimming in your bloodstream to keep your brain connections and your cognition strong…

Joyce Hollman

10 best foods to protect your hard-working liver

Without a fully functioning and healthy liver, you could take all the vitamins and supplements in the world, but they wouldn’t do any good. So, pay special attention to eating these ten foods that nourish this crucial organ.

Jenny Smiechowski

Brain viruses behind bowel problems

If you go to the doctor’s office and they can’t find anything else wrong, they may diagnose you with irritable bowel syndrome and send you on your way. But there could be something stranger behind your bowel trouble…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Does evening exercise really ruin your sleep?

You may have heard the conventional wisdom that says you shouldn’t exercise in the evening since it makes it hard to fall asleep. I know that I had… In fact, I though I had to skip my workout if I couldn’t get it in before 5 pm. But, is it the truth? Let’s get to the bottom of it…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The citrusy herb that ‘reverses’ heart damage

I love to cook with herbs and spices. Not just for the amazing flavor they add, but because many, especially one of my favorites, help heal your body. A a new study found one particular citrus-tasting herb may even reverse heart damage…

Jenny Smiechowski

More cheese makes the Mediterranean diet healthier

Some diets make you ditch dairy altogether, while others make you cut fat. Either way, cheese is out of the picture. But if you’re a cheese lover like me, don’t worry… a newer version of one of the healthiest diets is bringing dairy back, and the health benefits are just as good…

Joyce Hollman

6 things that can go wrong with your spine and how to avoid them

The spine houses a bundle of nerves that allows the brain to keep us moving, functioning and healthy. When a connection is severed, it’s like shutting off the switch to a vital function. It doesn’t take a serious injury to have problems. Watch for these…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

6 wildflowers with big health benefits

There are around 21,000 plants that have the potential to fight disease, but you’re unlikely to come into contact with most of them. However, there are six wildflowers that you could easily run across in a short hike that pack a big punch when it comes to your health.

Jenny Smiechowski

The mineral that helps you master your vitamin D levels

Optimizing vitamin and mineral levels is a bit like walking a tight rope. Too much or too little, and you’ve got problems. So, when supplementing your vitamin D, wouldn’t it be nice to have a little “insurance” that protects you from getting too little or too much?

Joyce Hollman

Don’t fall victim to Big Pharma’s promotional scare tactics

You know how drug commercials rattle off dangerous side effects so fast there’s no way to get it all? Well, drug companies have found a new way to get around the law requiring them to disclose that information. Here’s what to watch for so you don’t get tricked…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Two foods that shield your heart from high blood pressure damage

We all know that high blood pressure is dangerous and that it can lead to heart attacks and even strokes. But, did you realize that it can also dramatically increase your risk of heart failure – a condition where your heart is unable to pump enough blood to the rest of your body?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

75-year Harvard study reveals the secret to a fulfilling life

What factors have the most significant effect on your physical and emotional well-being? Is it how much money you make, how respected you are in your community, or how much you gave back? Or, is it something else? A 75 year Harvard study may have the answer…

Jenny Smiechowski

The secret that slays your desire for delicious-smelling junk food

How hard is it to turn down a fresh-baked chocolate chip cookie once you catch a whiff of it? Or garlic bread? Or French fries? Scent triggers cravings. And scent-based cravings are hard to resist. But there’s a secret to overcoming those stubborn cravings.

Joyce Hollman

Why a heart attack sets you up for dementia

Hypertension and heart attacks are intimately connected. And, since both hypertension and vascular dementia are caused by thickening and narrowing of small blood vessels, it’s no surprise that vascular dementia risk rises right along with blood pressure, particularly for women…

Jenny Smiechowski

The nut that cracks two common nutrient deficiencies

A lot of us aren’t eating enough micronutrients, because, let’s face it… it’s not easy. How can you get enough of these disease-fighting nutrients? You might think a total diet overhaul is the solution. But not necessarily. There’s this tasty food that gets you two for one…

Dr. Michael Cutler

Corydalis for natural pain relief

Corydalis yanhusuo, a Chinese herb, has well documented effects on various types of pain — acute, inflammatory, neuropathic, and even bone cancer pain. All without causing tolerance. If this sounds too good to be true, how about a testimonial?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why a marathon on your bucket list spells danger for your heart

For years a good friend of mine has been trying to talk me into running a marathon with her. But there’s a danger that comes with marathons few realize. If you’re new to marathons but planning to compete one day, read this before hitting the pavement…

Joyce Hollman

How to support your body’s cannabinoid system without going up in smoke

In 1988, two scientists proved that the human body is wired for cannabis. In fact, your body has an entire system that runs on cannabinoids, and a deficiency spells trouble. Besides marijuana, there are other natural substances that will support it…

Jenny Smiechowski

What to know if you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure under the new rules

In 2017, the American College of Cardiology created new treatment guidelines for high blood pressure, assuming it’s better to catch creeping blood pressure sooner rather than later. But despite their good intentions, the new guidelines do more harm than good…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 essential oils that might win the fight against Lyme disease

Lyme disease is still a mysterious condition in many ways. And just as mysterious is curing it. But Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has discovered 5 essential oils that are more effective at killing the disease than standard Lyme antibiotics.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

More protein could be the answer to defeating fatty liver disease

Weight is a major factor for a condition known as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease or NAFLD. It significantly increases risk for liver cancer and liver failure, and makes it more likely that you’ll develop type 2 diabetes. But more of a healthy nutrient can help…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What really works for tennis elbow pain

In over 10 years in chiropractic practice, one of the most common complaints from patients was tennis elbow. Some doctors have tried everything from medications, to botox injections, to ultrasounds. Turns out what I was recommending has been proven to work best.

Joyce Hollman

10 baking soda uses for health, house and hygiene

That little yellow box sitting in your refrigerator and keeping things fresh? The white powder in that box isn’t a miracle cure, but it has more amazing uses than most people realize. Here’s how to put it to use for health, house and hygiene…

Jenny Smiechowski

The bowel problem that quadruples your prostate cancer risk

Many chronic diseases come with other health risks. And that seems to be the case with inflammatory bowel diseases too, like Crohn’s or colitis. In fact, a new study shows that men with IBD are more at risk for a super serious health condition…

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