Latest Stories

You may have already heard that eating the potent little compounds known as flavanols that you find in brightly colored fruits and vegetables is good for your blood vessels, helping them to function better and keeping your heart healthy. Now, it turns out they’re also one of the healthiest things for your brain, too. New […]

If you’re like most, you figure you won’t really have to worry about hypertension until you’re well into your 50s or 60s. That’s a mistake that could set you up for stroke and dementia. New research says controlling your blood pressure is a “long game,” and we’d all be wise to start paying attention now… […]

One of the best diets for lowering your risk of heart disease, stroke and even diabetes is the Mediterranean diet. But would you believe researchers have found a way to take those benefits up a few notches to help us lose more weight and lower cholesterol and blood pressure even more? Meet the better, greener Med diet…

Heart attack continues to be the leading cause of death in men. But women do suffer heart attacks, and when they do, they appear to get the shorter end of the stick. In fact, recently published research found women to be at a surprisingly higher risk for heart failure and heart attack death than men… […]

It’s not always easy to feel happy, alert and bursting with energy, even if you’re on the healthy side of things. But you may look at some mundane activities you do every day quite differently when you understand this one major underlying benefit…

The holiday season is buzzing with celebrations, albeit smaller this year, that include plenty of drinks to go around. But it’s no secret that alcohol affects the brain. Though the occasional celebratory drink may be alright, researchers have identified three key times in our lives when alcohol can be especially harmful to our brains. The […]

As COVID-19 spreads, scientists are unraveling the complexities of the disease and the virus behind it. One thing they’ve discovered is a particular mechanism that could explain why there are those among us, like the elderly and people with chronic disease, who are more vulnerable to infection, as well as provide clues to help them. […]

Sadly, almost 380,000 people are likely to die this year due to heart failure. And while numerous factors can raise your risk of becoming one of those statistics — like high blood pressure, heart attack and even diabetes that damages your blood vessels — there’s an easily modifiable risk factor that might surprise you… your […]

You know the mantra for how to avoid getting sick this winter: Wash your hands and wear a mask. And when the days start getting shorter, the temperature drops and cold and flu season kicks in, we could all use an immunity boost, COVID or no COVID. That’s where my favorite secret weapon comes in… Yes, […]

For a couple of years, stress has been fast approaching crisis levels in the U.S. Some of us have tried self-care, meditation, exercise and calming herbs. But managing stress could be even easier with the right diet… One that’s already known for amazing health benefits…

Have you noticed a progressive decline in your cognitive skills? If so, you could be living with mild cognitive impairment, a condition that can precede Alzheimer’s disease. Even so, there is something you can do about it right now… You only have to commit to about 20 minutes a week to see big benefits. But one warning from the researchers: Don’t wait!

Sleep apnea is a progressive condition that causes a person to stop breathing during sleep, often multiple times a night. It’s linked to hypertension, stroke and heart failure. Now, researchers believe sleep apnea increases vulnerability for a serious COVID-19 infection partly because of how it affects blood oxygen levels…

You pull yourself out of bed in the morning and your back aches. You head into the kitchen to get breakfast and notice that your neck and shoulders are tense and your hamstrings tight and painful. Every movement hurts. And you think, “Today, I’ve got to stretch.” But you may be surprised to learn that what you’re eating could be causing your muscle pain.

According to the CDC, 88 million Americans are now living with prediabetes and are on the path to a Type 2 diabetes diagnosis in the coming years. Yet, as scary as that number is, it can also be looked at as 88 million cases of diabetes that are preventable with the right steps. And those steps are exactly what a brand-new study published in the international journal JAMA Internal Medicine has given us…

Eggs have had a bad rap. Many people stay away from them, to avoid high cholesterol and heart disease — and the newest research says eating eggs may lead to diabetes. But as it turns out, eggs could be one of the best things to include in your diet to stabilize your blood sugar — with one caveat…

If you have a dog, they’re part of your family. And you want to do whatever it takes to protect their health and well-being. Good nutrition is an important part of that equation, and it turns out the timing of a good diet needs to be precise to protect your dog from a particularly irritating health problem…

For years, doctors and researchers have seen a tantalizing connection between vitamin D and cancer. Yet, that connection has always been just out of reach. Now, a brand-new look at that VITAL study data has once again delved into the connection between vitamin D and cancer and found good news for us all — an up to 38 percent reduction of metastatic or fatal cancers.

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the US. And with the surge that experts warned us about last summer, researchers are increasingly turning to drugs and natural supplements already approved for use against other conditions to stem the tide. The latest? The supplement we all love to help us sleep appears to reduce the risk of testing positive…

Semi-volatile organic compounds hang in the air and dust of your home, and they’re changing the composition of your gut microbiome. That’s a big deal considering your gut is command central for your immune system and helps fight off not only bacteria and viruses, but also myriad diseases. This danger may be invisible, but the threat to you and your family is not…

The damage caused by stroke can range from mild to life-threatening, depending on the severity and how quickly health care professionals intervene to stop it. Researchers are working overtime to find ways to combat stroke damage… One new way focuses on calcium’s confusing relationship with ischemic stroke.

Light is connected to migraine in more ways than one. Anyone who suffers from them knows that during an attack light is like salt on a wound. Light hurts and makes a migraine worse. But light can also be a trigger. When I changed the light in my life, I also changed how migraine affected my life.

There has been considerable scientific interest in recent microbiome studies related to diabetes. But what exactly do the bacteria in your gut have to do with type 2 diabetes? Your gut microbiota can form a molecule that can lead to the progression of type 2 diabetes…

The prospect of anti-cancer properties is just one of the many researched benefits of curcumin. So why not add more curcumin to your life? Here are a few fun and easy ways you can…

Sugar offers little to nothing but calories. But we really like it, except when it leads to weight gain. A new study, however, may change the way you think about it. You know the saying — “the hair of the dog” — used often when someone suffering a hangover needs a little of what got them that way to get over it? It turns out that sugar could be the key to eating less over the holidays…

It’s no secret that a sedentary lifestyle can wreak havoc with your health. But sometimes it can seem impossible to work even 30 minutes of exercise into your busy life. Luckily, experts are finding more evidence that smaller stints of exercise can be just as powerful, yielding significant benefits you can’t afford to pass up.

Functional pain refers to pain that occurs without injury. Migraines and fibromyalgia fall into this category. Turns out more women suffer this kind of pain and now we know why. For starters, a female hormone acts on sensory pain receptors and may ramp up that stimuli. To make matters worse, certain pain treatments can kick it into high gear.

When inflammation goes unchecked for too long, the nervous system becomes damaged and can lead to diseases like Alzheimer’s or multiple sclerosis. That’s just one example of why inflammation is often called the root of all disease. But researchers have found a peptide in the beetroot that could make all that a thing of the past…

Walnuts are known to have numerous health benefits, many of which involve the heart — I’ve lost count of how many I mention in this one post! And now, the largest and longest study to date exploring the benefits of walnuts has discovered how they can help protect you from one of the most destructive processes in the human body…

A new study shows that people doing hard physical work have a higher risk of developing dementia than those doing sedentary work — 55 percent higher. Why? There’s a difference between hard labor and exercise. One of them hurts the blood supply to the brain and the other boosts it…

It’s time to stop thinking of menopause as something perfectly normal. While the menopause symptoms women experience may seem annoying, the truth is they can actually be a harbinger of things to come for your heart. So, what turns a menopause symptom into a heart disease trigger? The number of them you might suffer carries more weight, even if they’re moderate to severe…

The practice of meditation is thousands of years old and there are many ways to do it. In the U.S. the methods of mindfulness meditation and transcendental meditation are most popular. But, if you’re new to meditation, you might find this method particularly helpful, especially if you need focus…

Do you generally just feel “off your game?” Or worse, have you been hit recently with an illness you doctor can’t quite put his finger on? Because, what you can’t see when you eat, is that the lining of your intestines may be leaking food particles back into your bloodstream…

Plump, stout, large, chubby, portly, flabby, paunchy, heavyset… If you’d like to lose these adjectives and a few pounds, listen up: While it can seem like you couldn’t even blast the extra weight off with dynamite, there is a simple way to drop those extra pounds without resorting to dangerous options…

Who doesn’t want to live healthier longer? All of us, of course. That’s why you’ll see lots of products on the market now, promising to turn back time by prolonging the life of your cells based on what we’ve learned from research. But I’ll let you in on a secret: you can power up your mitochondria all on your own…

“A high-fat diet is bad for your heart.” You’ve heard this for so long, you know it like the back of your hand. But you know better… Fish oil, coconut oil, olive oil and the healthy fats in avocados and nuts contain fatty acids that support your health. So why was the truth about the real villain sugarcoated?

While menopause means not having to deal with a period anymore, it can also mean weight gain, hot flashes, anxiety and moodiness. But that decrease in estrogen is more than annoying… These inevitable hormonal changes can significantly impact some surprising body parts…

If you’re like me, you don’t feel an immediate change when taking oral supplements. That doesn’t mean they won’t help you in the long run… But what if you could get an injection of health-boosting nutrients and really feel better right away? Would you want to try it?

It’s no secret that your blood pressure tends to go up as your age does. So how can you can keep your BP levels low and lower your risk for stroke and heart attack while you’re at it? Research shows these 5 factors will bring it down — but one stands out more than all the others combined…

You know how bad you feel when a stressful event hits — it not only affects your emotions but can also keep you tossing and turning all night. Now, researchers have discovered an unusual reason that stress steals our sleep, and an equally unusual way to cope…

Superfoods have a powerful health-promoting effect. Only about 20,000 of a possible 70,000 or even 100,000 medicinal herbs and botanicals have been identified, and more than a few are bound to be fruits and vegetables you’ve never heard of — like these seven…

You hear a lot about “a strong core” these days. But it’s not just a buzz phrase… your core muscles are those central to your body. Glutes are considered minor core muscles — but they have a major job. Just ask your lower back, hips and legs…

Elevated blood pressure is one of the most important risk factors of cardiovascular disease. That’s why it’s vital to check it regularly so you can quickly take action to respond to any changes and nip blood pressure problems in the bud. But, don’t be so quick to jump on the drug bandwagon…

By now, you’ve heard all about the dangers of Bisphenol A (BPA), like breast cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease. But your bottles, cans and Tupperware containers may be the least of your worries. There’s another way you’re being handed this dangerous toxin that’s worse for your body…

What do you think are the four best supplements for prostate cancer? This is an interesting question, and experts don’t necessarily agree on the answer. However, the important thing is, there are numerous candidates, but the real power is the unique synergy that develops in certain combinations…

Part of the reason zinc is so important for cancer prevention and overall health is because your body needs it to create certain proteins and enzymes. Without these proteins and enzymes, your cells can’t function, and that increases risk for some specific types of cancer…

GERD is a condition where stomach acid splashes up into the esophagus. If you suffer with reflux, you know the heartburn sensation, the acid regurgitation and sometimes even chest pain. But be careful with meds that provide little relief and big danger…

The middle age spread is something most of us battle if we want to maintain a fit body and a healthy weight past the age of 45. Luckily, taking some extra steps can help you keep from packing on the pounds after middle age, without resorting to drastic, crash diets or dangerous weight loss drugs…

Here’s news that will warm a chocolate-lover’s heart: The health benefits of eating chocolate are indisputable. In fact, dark chocolate has been proven to be one of the healthiest foods around, holding its own even against many fruits and vegetables. But would you prefer a pill or a delicious chocolate bar?

Brain inflammation is a serious problem that contributes to pretty much every neurological disorder… Epilepsy, dementia, Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, depression, suicide — all tied to an inflamed brain. The question is, how do you prevent it?

Juicing can be a wonderful way to give your body the nutritional boost it needs, and ensure that you experience a range of benefits as a result, it’s important to know that you have to have the right ingredients if you want the best results. Otherwise you set yourself up for this hidden danger…

Last week, I introduced a concept called a SWOT analysis that helps you uncover the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats surrounding your ability to achieve your health and wellness goals. Today, let’s see how we can leverage them to accomplish what’s important to you…

You are what you eat. You probably hear that all the time, but are you taking it to heart? Most of us don’t. Our most popular meals are highly inflammatory. And if you factor in alcohol, caffeine, stress and exhaustion, you get a perfect storm for chronic inflammation and the many degenerative conditions it can fuel.

Bitter melon is also known by several other names — bitter squash, bitter gourd, bitter apple, and it’s botanical name momordica charantia. And with more than 32 known beneficial phytochemicals, this unusual-looking fruit is now becoming increasingly popular to help balance blood sugar…

Have you been dieting but just can’t seem to either lose the weight or keep it off? Your “famine reaction” may be blame. It’s an ancient protective mechanism that helped our ancestors survive, but may be to blame for making us fat. New research reveals how to get past it for weight loss success…

You’ve probably heard that hard water (due to a high mineral content) is hard on your pipes, but it’s also hard on your skin. A lot of it has to do with pH. The pH of your skin is typically acidic, but hard water has an alkaline pH. As a result, hard water interferes with your skin’s natural pH, which makes your skin susceptible to bacteria and infection.

People are sucking down more sugar than ever before. But how dangerous is the average sugar addiction? And, more importantly, would it really make that big of a difference to give up (or drastically reduce) sugar in your diet?

Losing your memory is not a natural part of aging and there are things you can do to preserve your brain’s function and your precious memories. But when it comes to one important nutrient, the Goldilocks factor comes into play…

Managing type 2 diabetes is vital to keep your health from spiraling out of control, and it can be overwhelming. But if you can focus on just these four factors, you might reduce your symptoms — or better yet, avoid it in the first place…

Have you taken a “what’s your true age” quiz? Of course it’s just a game. Otherwise I’d be quite upset to know it found me to be 10 years older than I actually am! But I know better… that’s because as part of my diet, I’ve given up the one food that’s been shown over and over again to make you old…

Up to about 70 percent of cancers are linked to factors you can control or change. In fact, there are three main steps you can work on right now to dramatically reduce your cancer risk…