Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Joyce Hollman

‘Sedating’ music helps seniors sleep without the risky pills

All of us have those nights when physical discomfort or a racing mind can make it difficult to sleep well. But when it happens night after night, it can be a real nightmare — one that affects up to 70 percent of older adults. Pop a pill? That’s dangerous the older you get. But new research says the right kind of music is the stuff dreams are made of…

Carolyn Gretton

Want to be less stressed? Eat your fruits and veggies

Between the chaos of the pandemic and the information overload that comes from being constantly online, stress is pretty much a constant presence in our lives. Luckily, evidence continues to mount that following a healthy diet with plenty of plant-based foods can help you manage your stress…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Reduce psoriasis skin symptoms with the 5:2 diet

Psoriasis is a difficult autoimmune disease to manage. Not only can it result in thick, red, itchy skin plaques that feel uncomfortable — but it can make someone suffering from the condition uncomfortable about showing their skin. It can also cause misery below the skin including inflamed joints and tendons. A type of diet shows promise in improving symptoms…

Joyce Hollman

Prediabetes: The ‘benign’ condition that does serious heart damage

Diabetes is well-known as a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. But prediabetes? No big deal, right? Wrong. The notion that prediabetes is “blood sugar that’s high but not high enough to be diabetes” has lulled us into a false sense of security. It can lead to heart damage without ever progressing…

Carolyn Gretton

The other reason HDL protects against narrowing of the arteries

You already know that there’s “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol and that the “good” type helps eliminate bad forms of cholesterol out of your system. But researchers have discovered another benefit to “good” cholesterol that could help predict your likelihood of developing a serious heart problem…

Joyce Hollman

One more reason for seniors to stay cool: Neurodegeneration

Heat stroke is a dangerous condition that can sneak up on you if you get overheated and don’t take the time to cool off. Now, we’re finding that being overheated for too long can lead to specific danger for seniors… it can actually lower your body’s ability to clean out damaged cells that could lead to diseases like Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s.

Carolyn Gretton

When other medications are to blame for your high blood pressure

People with high blood pressure are usually taking some action to bring it under control, including diet, exercise and medication. But what they don’t know is that they could be sabotaging their efforts simply by taking care of other health issues, especially with medication…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Hitting the stairs: Exercise after heart surgery

Exercise plays a vital role in heart health and is often recommended by experts as one of the best ways to avoid heart problems. But what if you’ve actually had to undergo heart surgery? Can you get the cardivascular and muscular benefits you need to reduce frailty without danger? You bet, especially if you take the stairs…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Reduce pain and stress and boost your brainpower with nature’s sounds

I can’t think of much that’s more relaxing than strolling through a park and listening to a bird song. It clears the mind, rejuvenates the spirit and inspires me more than almost any other experience. And I’m sure I’m not alone in appreciating these gifts that come from spending time outdoors, including how they impact our health…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Sleep: The secret to getting your sex life back

Sleep is soothing. But it’s also invigorating. You know what else is invigorating? Sex. If you’re a woman of a certain age feeling left out in that department, sleep may be the way to get it back, according to experts who understand what you’re going through.

Joyce Hollman

5 symptoms that could signal kidney disease

While kidney disease is not reversible, there’s a lot you can do to slow its progression and prevent serious disease or kidney failure. Here are some of the danger signs to watch for, and half a dozen things you can do now to protect your kidneys.

Carolyn Gretton

Bleeding gums? You could have a vitamin C deficiency

Have you noticed your gums bleeding after brushing your teeth? It could be an early sign of gum disease. But what if you take excellent care of your teeth and your gums still bleed? Then it may be time to explore other factors connected to this warning sign, like a shortage of this particular vitamin…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The vitamin that gets you on your feet following hip surgery

With age, the risk of falling rises dramatically, and with it the risk of suffering a hip fracture. In fact, in the U.S. alone, over 300,000 seniors are hospitalized for hip fracture each year, three-quarters of them women. Here’s how to avoid that trauma and boost your chances of walking away from it following hip surgery.

Carolyn Gretton

AFib signs women and their doctors miss that can lead to stroke

Atrial fibrillation symptoms can appear differently in women. And because these symptoms are less familiar, women often ignore them and doctors often misdiagnose or minimize them. That can be deadly since AFib carries higher stroke risk for women. Here’s what to know to protect yourself from this serious stroke threat.

Carolyn Gretton

The connection between darker skin and vitamin D that harms hearts

If you have dark skin and tend to spend a lot of unprotected time in the sun, you may think you’re safe from vitamin D deficiency. But research shows the opposite may be true. This is why researchers are recommending that African Americans add vitamin D to their diet to help protect their heart health…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Meeting the brain’s energy needs connected to slower aging

The mitochondria found in our cells generate about 95 percent of the body’s energy. As we age, that energy declines. Research has found a connection between the brain’s ability to pull in glucose and the level of energy produced by mitochondria — one that could hold the link to living longer and healthier.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How cocoa lessens the risk of fatty liver

A fatty liver increases risk for liver damage, liver cancer, liver failure and even death. But there may be a surprisingly pleasant way to halt the progression of fatty liver and improve the health of this vital organ.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Nutrient combo combats pain and symptoms of uterine fibroids

Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous tumors that develop from the muscle in the uterus, typically in women of child-bearing age. The condition usually stabilizes, and symptoms lessen or go away on their own once a woman goes through menopause when her hormones decline. But till then?

Joyce Hollman

Harnessing the brain’s cleaning mechanism may reverse Alzheimer’s

Past research has shown the brain’s cellular cleaning mechanism can help take out the trash that leads to Alzheimer’s, and there are ways to naturally encourage the process. But what happens when, despite everything, this cleaning system breaks down? An experimental drug may have the answer to reversing it…

Carolyn Gretton

Sleepy in the daytime? It could affect this key marker of aging

Aging is directly connected to the shrinking of your telomeres, compounds that protect your chromosomes from damage. But there are several other factors that could shorten your telomeres and potentially accelerate the aging process — for instance, finding yourself constantly in need of an afternoon nap…

Carolyn Gretton

The veggies diabetics should be eating for kidney health

Diabetic nephropathy can strike one out of four people with diabetes, leading to loss of kidney function and the need for dialysis. While there is no cure yet for this condition, researchers are exploring options — and may have found one in a certain group of vegetables…

Joyce Hollman

The exercise sweet spot that keeps blood pressure in check

Three decades of research have further validated the role of exercise for healthy blood pressure. But it’s also shown that the “long game” matters. But if you haven’t stuck to your exercise routine, it’s not too late…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Air pollution: What you should know about this silent threat

Air pollution has not only been associated with asthma and lung diseases but also diabetes and heart attack. Research shows that in the U.S. alone 50,000 people will die this year due to one particular type of air pollution, a silent killer known as PM2.5. Here’s how to protect yourself…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Probiotics may keep respiratory infections away

As they say, prevention is the best medicine. And one of the most promising ways to avoid illness is to shore up your immune system by promoting a healthy and balanced gut microbiome.

Joyce Hollman

The once-a-day nutrient that eats away anxiety

When feelings of intense fear and dread become overwhelming and prevent us from doing everyday activities, an anxiety disorder may be the cause. Anxiety can be brought under control with medications, but at a cost. Don’t let it eat at you when you can eat it away…

Carolyn Gretton

Three times in life when your aging gets ramped up

Most of us perceive aging as a straight line on a steady decline. But the truth is our aging process is more like a straight line that’s interrupted by dips and bumps at certain points. And scientists have been able to identify three precise points in a person’s life when the most dramatic shifts in physiological aging occur.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

Black cumin: 7 modern benefits of an ancient seed oil

King Tut, Cleopatra, and Hippocrates relied on black cumin seed for an array of conditions, including malaise, weakness, coughing and skincare. When something is carried down over the years as a “remedy,” especially as long as black cumin seed, there’s got to be something to it. But when the research agrees, it’s even better.

Carolyn Gretton

10 essential ingredients for healthy, vibrant skin

Healthy skin isn’t just something you’re born with — it takes some work. And while fancy creams and serums may help keep your skin radiant, you need to go deeper than the products you put on the surface to help your skin stand the tests of time. That’s where skin nutrition comes into play…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Being active may help you hold onto your hearing

You’ve probably heard plenty about the dangers of not being active, including heart disease, stroke and various cancers. But are you aware of the auditory dangers of a sedentary lifestyle? It’s time to listen up and get up to save your hearing…

Joyce Hollman

Hungry all the time? It’s your blood sugar, not your appetite

Are you hungry all the time? Do you find yourself eating just an hour or two after a big meal? If you’ve had trouble with your weight as a result, stop beating yourself up over your lack of appetite control. You may be a big dipper. That means changes in your blood sugar levels affect how soon you feel hungry again.

Jenny Smiechowski

4 ways this simple vitamin undoes heart damage

Throughout your life, your heart sees its fair share of damage… Eating an unhealthy diet, drinking alcohol, staying sedentary, being overweight and smoking cigarettes all take a toll on your ticker. (And let’s face it…none of us are saints. We’ve all done at least one of these things in our lives.)

Jenny Smiechowski

Do you believe Alzheimer’s is in your future? Here’s why you may be right

I’m sure you’re familiar with the concept of a “self-fulfilling prophecy.” Well, science keeps showing there’s some truth to it, especially when it comes to your health. What you believe about aging and disease can either keep you healthy or set you up for sickness…

Dr. Michael Cutler

5 ways boron battles cancer cells

It’s easy to understand why boron has so many important functions when you consider it’s essential for plants to grow. That means it’s life-promoting. But — can you believe — there are even more reasons that boron is necessary to keep you healthy? And fighting cancer is one of them…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 exercises to beat chronic knee pain (slideshow)

If you don’t want to go through the agony of surgery or even the inconvenience of attending physical therapy sessions, there are some simple exercises you can do at home to help alleviate your chronic knee pain and get back to the life you love.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

3 bedroom-boosting supplements for couples

While your doctor might tell you it’s normal to experience changes in your sexual function as you age, you don’t have to write off your sex life. There are three supplements that have been shown to not only make you healthier, but your sex life as well…

Dr. Mark Wiley

Strengthen this surprising indicator of how well you’re aging

Ever have difficulty opening a jar of pickles or tomato sauce? Do your hands hurt when you hold things and perform repetitive motions, like washing dishes or gardening? Well, the issue could be lack of grip strength. And it’s more than just a problem that makes daily chores or tasks difficult for you…

Jenny Smiechowski

How an ancient salve could help stop antibiotic resistance

In a world where prescription antibiotics are becoming less effective, natural antibiotics are finally getting the attention they deserve. And there’s one natural antibiotic that’s been stealing the spotlight lately because of its impressive powers against resistant TB…

Joyce Hollman

The ‘pleasure therapy’ that improves your sleep, bladder, heart and more

The human body is a wondrous thing. Yet there’s this one thing that men and women alike have been conditioned to be uncomfortable talking about. Let’s end that today: It’s a normal part of our bodily functions and, it turns out, it can improve health and fight off disease…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

How to supercharge your skin’s natural anti-aging ‘serum’

An acid naturally produced in your body can hydrate and tighten your skin, reduce fine lines and wrinkles and make your lips and cheeks appear younger and fuller. So why all these visible signs of aging? Production is 1/20th what it was in your younger days. Here’s how to boost and supercharge it…

Jenny Smiechowski

The food as bad for you as a bacterial infection

Inflammation is a sign your body is trying to heal itself from something harmful, like an infection or injury. But sometimes your body’s inflammation response is triggered even when you haven’t contracted a nasty bug or taken a bad fall. That’s when it goes from helping to harming…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The best food to protect against stroke and dementia

The rate of Alzheimer’s disease in our country is skyrocketing. Luckily, researchers have discovered a diet that not only helps prevent Alzheimer’s but can even help ward off dementia in stroke survivors, who are twice as likely as the general population to develop dementia…

Dr. Mark Wiley

How to boost your weight loss efforts by 36 percent

The results of a new weight loss study are rather promising. It’s based on acceptance of behaviors in relation to food, feelings of hunger and daily activity: Components of the most effective wellness strategy for success. Just trade willpower in for ‘values’…

Jenny Smiechowski

The case for chronic Lyme: Another antibiotic fail?

A lot of doctors believe Lyme disease is a fairly straight-forward condition… You get a tick bite. You get a bullseye rash and some flu-like symptoms. As long as you take a course of antibiotics soon enough — you shouldn’t have any lingering effects. But that’s not the case…

Joyce Hollman

How heart attack can begin in your bones

Why do so many people with normal, healthy levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, who have never smoked, don’t have diabetes, and are without a family history of heart attack, fall victim to heart failure? A new discovery answers this question that’s plagued medicine for so long…

Jenny Smiechowski

The vitamin deficiency driving bowel problems

Gas. Stomach pain. Bloating. Diarrhea. Constipation. You get the picture. Even though IBS isn’t as serious as some of the other diseases tied to vitamin deficiencies, it makes you miserable and interferes with optimum health. So you want it to stop ASAP. Here’s what you need…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The deep wrinkle treatment you breathe in

We can count the passing of the years not just in our memories but in the wrinkles on our faces. And, while it’s nice to call those wrinkles a sign of wisdom or a life well-lived, most of us would still rather turn back the clock, at least when it comes to our skin.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz

Swap your ‘yoyo’ diet technique for real results

We all know the “YoYo” approach to losing weight… You spend a few weeks cutting out this or substituting that, counting every calorie. And quite often, the weight comes off and you revert back to “normal.” And then it all comes back. So let’s try something smarter…

Dr. Michael Cutler

Using boron to boost hormones and absorb nutrients

Recently I wrote about the missing link for arthritis… boron — and why supplementing with it is an effective natural treatment for both arthritis and osteoporosis. But that’s not all this miracle mineral can do for you. So let’s see how you can put it to work improving what ails you…

Joyce Hollman

Is it depression… or cancer?

People with depression are often stigmatized. Slowly, light is being shed on the fact that depression is, in fact, an illness, just like any other. It can also be a signal that other things are wrong with the body: vitamin deficiencies, hormonal imbalances… even cancer. Here’s one woman’s story…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Arthritis: Proof that if you don’t use it, you lose it

Arthritis pain have you dreading getting out of bed and taking that first step? Do you wonder how much worse it’s going to be ten or even fifteen years down the road? If you know moving helps, but can’t handle the 150 minutes your doctor says is recommended, here’s good news…

Jenny Smiechowski

The sleep ‘side effect’ that leads to weight gain, high BP and heart disease

Are you in debt to the Sandman? Only getting five or six hours of sleep, because that’s the only way you can find enough time in the day? Sure, you feel a little tired. But, you figure you’ll catch up this weekend, right? No so fast. That may not be the fix you’re looking for…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 steps to stop plantar fasciitis (slideshow)

Whether you’re living with plantar fasciitis, stress fractures of your feet, tendonitis or any other type of foot or ankle pain, there is one common way to feel better and it doesn’t involve prescription drugs and their side effects, needles or surgery.

Dr. Mark Wiley

8 super fun and effective ways to get your heart pumping

Having strong lungs and a healthy heart are essential to wellness and quality of life. Yet many people really don’t like cardio exercises because they are hard to do, take a lot of effort and often can be painful on the joints. Well, that’s not always the case…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The vicious cycle that makes a ‘dad bod’

My favorite commercial is that one with David Beckham. The best part is when he walks in front of the heavy-set man in front of a grill and they say, “He even gave the term “dad bod” a new meaning.” How can you get the new “dad bod?” Stop this cycle…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why sugar makes cancer tumors aggressive

Does the thought of fighting for your life against a disease that grows inside your body keep you up at night? Or, maybe you’ve already battled cancer and just want to know it’s never coming back. If so, the results of a new study could hold the answer you’re looking for…

Joyce Hollman

From the frying pan to your cup: Watch out for this ‘substitute’ poison

I wrote about how the EPA has turned a blind eye to the toxins in our drinking water, particularly PFOA, the toxic chemical found in Teflon non-stick cookware. But the “PFOA substitute” they’re replacing it with is just as poisonous. And you’ll find it…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

What’s really behind post-menopausal belly bloat?

The truth is that for many of us, moving into menopause also means ending up with fullness in our abdomens and jeans we just can’t button anymore. So, why do menopause and bloating go hand-in-hand? One study has the answer…

Jenny Smiechowski

A potent pair against colon cancer

Researchers thought this duo’s anti-cancer properties were so promising, they decided to give them a go. And with a bit of scientific tweaking, they turned these two simple, everyday ingredients into a powerful colon cancer-killing cocktail…

Dr. Mark Wiley

The amazing and lasting benefits of simply stretching

Stretching. You did it before gym class throughout your school years. But did you keep it up into your adult years? If not, you came to experience the loss of elasticity in your legs and tightening of your hips and shoulders. The pain soon followed. So let’s get back to it…

Jenny Smiechowski

5 ways to detox daily without a diet

Thinking about trying a juice fast, cleanse or extreme detox diet? Well, I have good news: You don’t have to do anything that severe to help your body detoxify itself. In fact, those extreme, short-term interventions are less helpful than these long-term, sustainable habits…

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