Latest Stories

Latest Stories

Joyce Hollman

How to sleep your way to better weight loss

Did you know that how you sleep can keep you from losing weight? Research shows that sleep directly impacts your appetite hormones and your ability to say no to fattening snacks. Fortunately, there are some things you can do to counteract this effect…

Jenny Smiechowski

This ‘sunshine spice’ could help you feel less depressed this winter

For many, seasonal affective disorder can soon hit hard. The fatigue, sadness, hopelessness and social withdrawal (compounded this year by COVID-19) can make a long winter feel even longer. But if you’re looking for a safe, scientifically-backed way to fend off depression, this fragrant herb can be a big help…

Jenny Smiechowski

Turning down the thermostat may be just as good for you as cutting calories

A calorie restricted diet isn’t easy. But they can lower blood pressure and inflammation, balance cholesterol, reduce insulin resistance and promote a longer lifespan. Why is cutting calories so good for you? That’s the million-dollar question, but it may not be the only way to get these benefit.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Diabetics face serious blood pressure risk if breaking the ‘one drink’ rule

If you’re living with diabetes, you already know how important it is to embrace a healthy lifestyle. But there’s one more change you might need to make to be sure you don’t add high blood pressure to your list of diagnoses…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The weird effect a popular over-the-counter pain reliever has on risk perception

You probably consider yourself to be level-headed, right? Sure, you like to be adventurous, but you draw the line at risky behavior because it’s the smart thing to do. But if you’re among the 1 in 4 who turns to a popular OTC pain reliever for minor aches and pains, you’re unknowingly putting something in your body that can muddy your perception of risk…

Carolyn Gretton

The good news thick thighs could reveal about your blood pressure

It’s been drilled into our heads for decades that fat is bad. With obesity comes a higher risk of all kinds of disorders, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancers. But recent research has found that fat may not always be a harbinger of a health problem on the horizon. In fact, if you’ve got thick thighs, you may breathe a sigh of relief…

Jenny Smiechowski

Why getting a cold could keep you from getting the flu

The common cold is far from dangerous, but it still makes you miserable by walloping you with a cough, a headache, congestion, a low-grade fever and that awful fatigued feeling you get when you’re sick. But the next time you’re laid up with a serious cold, you have a big bright side to think about… colds may be able to prevent the more dangerous flu virus from infecting your airways…

Joyce Hollman

How not to get breast cancer from your salad

In 1972, the United States banned the use of the pesticide DDT. But other endocrine-disrupting pesticides have taken its place and are still in use. Luckily, there are ways to protect yourself from exposure to these endocrine-disrupting chemicals that cause breast cancer.

Joyce Hollman

Drugs that treat colds, bladder leaks, Parkinson’s and more increase Alzheimer’s risk

Anticholinergics, also called antispasmodics, treat everything from Parkinson’s to COPD and asthma to irritable bowel syndrome. Some are even found in over-the-counter allergy medications. But at least three recent studies point to a strong connection between anticholinergic use and cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Eat more blueberries to preserve and repair your muscles

Reduced muscle mass can lead to a lack of mobility, lower quality of life and even steal your independence. Now though, there’s a new weapon in your arsenal that could make all the difference — a simple and delicious way to kick your muscle strength into gear by stimulating the production of special cells in your body that boost muscle growth and repair…

Jenny Smiechowski

Steroids for asthma may lower inflammation but carry chronic side-effects

If you don’t have asthma, you probably know someone who does and know they keep an inhaler close by. Oral steroids can be part of asthma management, too, since inflammation is a troublesome component of the condition. But experts fear these medications are being overprescribed and are leading to some very serious side effects…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Authoritative evidence supports increasing omega-3s for cardio protection

For over a decade, experts have waffled about whether omega-3 intake can help you stay heart healthy. Now, the largest meta-analysis to date has found conclusive proof that whatever amount you might get through diet, you should consider supplementing for ample cardioprotection…

Jenny Smiechowski

Why a thyroid problem could be fueling your anxiety

A lot of anxiety sufferers find ways to improve their symptoms, but they never quite slay their inner anxiety demon completely. If you can relate to this struggle, you need to know that the root of all those sleepless nights, panic attacks and anxious sweats may be your thyroid.

Joyce Hollman

What’s the danger in being a ‘social’ smoker?

If you’re a “social smoker,” you may think your health risk from lung cancer and other tobacco-related diseases is much smaller than if you smoke a pack a day. But is that true?

Jenny Smiechowski

The most important number on your vitamin D test

Based on all the latest research, your vitamin D levels may be a window into your future. They can determine your risk for conditions like heart disease, multiple sclerosis, cancer, osteoporosis and diabetes. The free, circulating vitamin D levels in your blood may be the best indicator of whether your vitamin D levels are in the danger zone.

Jenny Smiechowski

The best therapy for reducing disease-causing inflammation

Everyone is trying to curb chronic inflammation nowadays. That’s because science has clearly identified it as a major contributor to disease and pain. Popular approaches to dousing it include anti-inflammatory diets and drugs. But a kind of mental therapy can significantly slash your levels — no diet changes or drugs needed!

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Why sleep may be the strongest predictor and deterrent to Alzheimer’s

Have you ever wondered if you’re going to end up with Alzheimer’s and when? The truth is that while there is genetic testing for the disease, having or not having the gene won’t answer those questions. But there is another indicator that Alzheimer’s is likely in your future…. one that you can turn around.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The biggest risk factor for diabetes isn’t your genetics

Diabetes tends to run in families. In fact, your doctor will tell you that if your mom, dad or grandparents have blood sugar problems, you’re at higher risk. But, does that mean your fate is sealed? The answer is no. There’s a completely changeable factor that plays a much bigger role in whether or not you end up with diabetes.

Virginia Tims-Lawson

How to keep pain and the thoughts that worsen it from cramping your style

When you’re living with chronic pain, it’s easy to find yourself giving up activities that you love. But that decrease in your get-up-and-go could actually be due less to the pain itself and more about how you think and feel about your pain. Here’s what you need to know about the pain catastrophizing trap and how to escape it…

Jenny Smiechowski

6 simple ways to keep kidney disease from striking you

Chronic kidney disease is surprisingly common. People living with the disease have damaged kidneys that are unable to filter out bodily wastes and fluids efficiently. This leaves harmful levels of wastes circulating in the body, which can damage other organs (like your heart and brain). So, how can you keep your kidneys safe and healthy? Follow these six lifestyle changes…

Jenny Smiechowski

Why honeybee venom has potential in the fight against breast cancer

Have you ever heard of honeybee venom therapy? It’s the use of honeybee venom for medicinal purposes (either through injections or intentional bee stings). A lot of people think it’s just a new age health practice, but it’s been used for over 5,000 years to treat a variety of conditions ranging from gout to chronic pain to multiple sclerosis. Fighting breast cancer may soon be added to that list…

Joyce Hollman

Men should lose the ‘spare tire’ to lose risk for prostate cancer

Carrying excess fat around the midsection raises your risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic disturbances, dementia and, in women, breast cancer. Now, at least two recent studies have connected visceral fat with prostate cancer. Not just prostate cancer, but the advanced kind that normally proves fatal.

Jenny Smiechowski

Why a low-carb, high-fat diet could keep you safe from glaucoma

There are a lot of eye problems you can fall victim to as you get older. But perhaps the most concerning is glaucoma. It’s one of the few that can cause permanent and complete blindness. On the bright side, it’s possible to reduce your odds of ever developing the disease in the first place. One of the most effective ways is a popular diet…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Foods that shorten your telomeres and trigger aging

While the term processed food is one most of us have heard, the concept of ultra-processed food is a litter trickier. These zero nutrition foods have been linked to everything from diabetes and high blood pressure to cancer. And a recent study has more bad news. they speed up your biological aging…

Joyce Hollman

The other reason every cell in your body needs calcium that has nothing to do with your bones

Every move we make throughout the day causes our cells to stretch and deform. The problem is that these stretched and misshapen cells could lead to permanent DNA damage and even cancer. So how are we able to keep moving without destroying our cells? New research tells us that the answer lies with calcium…

Jenny Smiechowski

How day sleeping clogs your brain and increases risk for brain disorders

The human body was designed to sleep during the night and stay awake during the day. Mixing that up leads to problems. In fact, research shows there may be certain critical functions that your body will only perform during a nighttime sleep session… like clearing all the dementia-causing wastes out of your brain.

Coach Todd, MMT, MPA

Follow these 4 steps to banish neck pain and tension for good

Holding strange neck positions over and over again, only to find little to no lasting relief? We’ve all been there, but now, we finally know why… and what is not going to help, like stretching. If you really want to get the root of your neck problem, and experience lasting relief, give this a try…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Huge study review revealed the big fat lies about statins

Roughly 36 million people in the U.S. alone take cholesterol-lowering medications, also known as statin drugs. Yet, with the massive number of statin prescriptions doctors write, is there truly evidence that they save lives? New revelations are that inconsistencies and contradictory evidence has been swept under the rug…

Jenny Smiechowski

How vitamin C can save your muscles from shrinking

Once you’re over 50, you lose about one percent of your muscle mass per year. Not only can it lead to frailty, but it’s also linked to a higher risk of physical disability and even type-2 diabetes. So how do you prevent your muscle mass from slipping away with age? The answer may be simpler than you’d think…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

When spouses get on board, heart attack survivors do better at making healthy living changes

After surviving a heart attack, making lifestyle changes to prevent a second attack is vital. Yet, even with the motivation a heart attack provides, actually giving up bad habits and replacing them with new, healthy ones can be a challenge. Luckily, a new study has found a simple way to more than double your chances of success.

Jenny Smiechowski

Antibiotics kill bacteria but help colon polyps thrive

Overusing antibiotics can have deadly consequences… And I’m not just talking about antibiotic resistance. We’ve all read the horror stories about MRSA, C-difficile and Candida. But this time they’ve been tied to cancer-causing colon polyps.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The surest way to a nimble brain

Memory loss and cognition problems are anything but normal. We all know people who are sharp as a tack well into their 90s. And, you’ve probably even wondered what their secret is. Well, it turns out that the secret to a nimble brain is a…

Easy Health Options Staff

Health benefits of prebiotics and where to find them [infographic]

Bacteria are living organisms, which means they have to eat. One way to enhance beneficial flora is to provide nutrition for them, in the form of prebiotics. By giving bacteria the food they like, we help them grow and maintain their balance in our digestive tract.

Dr. Mark Wiley

The easy way to get rid of a pain in the neck

Many of us suffer from neck pain and there are many reasons why… Chronic pain often stems from stress and poor posture habits. Sudden pain, stiffness and strain means you may be overdoing it. Whatever the cause, these easy, painless movements can bring relief…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The best spice for beauty and brains

Would you like to turn back the clock and reduce the signs of aging from the inside out? If so, I’ve got a spice for you that boosts both beauty and brains — and provides more health benefits than you can shake a stick at.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

5 essential oils to always have on hand

Essential oils have been used to prevent illnesses, ease pain and stress and promote natural health. They boost immunity, improve breathing and even fight off cold and flu viruses. And there are 5 must-have essential oils to keep on hand…

Jedha Dening

Two-step strategy keeps the weight off for good

When it comes to achieving permanent weight loss, experts believe they’ve zeroed in on two factors that can help you get motivated and stay on track to not only lose weight, but keep it off. Here’s how to do it…

Craig Cooper

10 ways meditation makes you better

Meditation has been making its way, gradually, from the realm of the Buddhist, the hippie, and the yogi into the mainstream, all for a very good reason. If you’re not on the meditation bandwagon, it’s time you considered it…

Debra Atkinson

7 reasons painless lunges are essential

Strengthening your lower body is a challenge with knee pain. Yet, strengthening the lower body is key if you want to increase your metabolism or gain strength. Done right, lunges can be a pain-free answer…

Jenny Smiechowski

Diabetes ‘kryptonite’ reduces threat 35%

A healthy diet can prevent or even reverse diabetes. But besides the usual advice to avoid sweets and refined carbohydrates, you may be wondering if there are any potent, diabetes-fighting foods with a powerful impact…

Dr. Mark Wiley

The key to making alternative medicine work

There is a vast difference in the approaches of mainstream medicine and alternative therapies. The mainstream uses a disease-based model, while alternative medicine works from a wellness model. Do you think it’s easier to prevent or cure disease?

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

3 reasons you pee more at night and how to stop

There are a number of things that can cause you to have to “go” more at night and it’s not just about how much you have to drink. So why is your bladder waking you up and what can you do about it?

Jedha Dening

Anthocyanins keep heart disease, diabetes and obesity away

One thing we know about health conditions from diabetes to heart disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, is they’re associated with chronic low-grade inflammation. Anthocyanins, have a distinct ability to switch off that inflammation at the core…

Jedha Dening

Avoid the daily dangers causing breast cancer

They’re in your food, the air you breathe, the products you clean with and even the ones you put on your body. Your exposure began in childhood and continues to this day. So it’s no wonder you’re a ticking time bomb for disease…

Jenny Smiechowski

‘Original’ superfood fights cancer and obesity

Feeling bombarded by fad diets, trendy superfoods and conflicting advice about what’s best for your body? It’s confusing to say the least. It’s okay to embrace these new trends. But you should never forget about this original superfood and potent cancer fighter…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Marine compound switches your longevity gene ‘ON’

Who wouldn’t want to live longer, be healthier and stay active? New groundbreaking research has revealed not just a gene that controls longevity… but also a simple compound that activates the gene, creating its own anti-aging therapy.

Debra Atkinson

Simple way to boost weight loss without exercise

Your body can breakdown fat better when it’s hydrated. So it isn’t that water increases fat burning, but it makes it much easier for your body to do so, whether you’re exercising or not.

Dr. Michael Cutler

11 ways music ‘fine-tunes’ your health

Music can play an important role in your health. It’s become almost free to obtain, has no adverse effects and it’s really been shown to help specific conditions. For these reasons, I consider it one of the best “natural” medicines of our day.

Jenny Smiechowski

The ancient Chinese food to save your modern gut

The bacteria that live in your gut play a huge role in strengthening your immune system, balancing your moods and your weight and boosting your overall health. But, it’s not always easy to eat a plate full of prebiotic-rich foods, so I’ve got a quick and simple tip for you…

Virginia Tims-Lawson

The natural appetite suppressant that fights fat and diabetes

Probiotics are beneficial bacteria that counteract medications such as antacids and antibiotics, which kill off good gut bacteria. But they’re only half the story. Prebiotics, on the other hand, feed these bacteria and can help you avoid disease and weight gain.

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

6 steps for fighting gum disease naturally

Gum pain and bad breath can come from inflammation and infection of your gums. Gum disease, also known as periodontal disease has also been linked to heart problems. This makes taking care of your mouth and getting rid of gum disease vital to your health.

Dr. Mark Wiley

Cobra pose for low back relief

Low back pain is a common complaint. And with good reason: We spend too much of our time seated. Cobra pose is terrific for not only stretching the lower back, but for relieving tension and strengthening the back at the same time…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

Are ketones key to staving off Alzheimer’s?

Alzheimer’s is being called “type 3 diabetes” because of the way the brain cells of victims die from their inability to use glucose for energy. That’s why an alternative fuel source may save your brain.

Jedha Dening

The vitamin that slows aging where it starts

Telomeres are like plastic caps on the end of your chromosomes, protecting them. The shortening of telomeres is associated with rapid premature aging, and the development of many age-related diseases. But there’s one vitamin that’s shown it can help…

Debra Atkinson

You, yoga and avoiding shoulder injury

Many people assume yoga is all about relaxing and little about fitness. That may be why yoga injuries are on the rise. So it’s all the more important to get the basics down…

Dr. Adria Schmedthorst

The beauty secrets in the produce aisle

It may not be the fountain of youth, but there are fruits and vegetables packed with so many anti-oxidants they can help you get the smoother, radiant skin you’re looking for. For the best complexion with the least wrinkles, the rule is to…

Dr. Mark Wiley

The 8 biggest headache myths

When it comes to making a health plan that works and sticking to it, you must also avoid the pitfalls. And when it comes to a subject as complex as headaches and migraines, it’s important to separate myth from fact…

Jenny Smiechowski

How to release your natural anti-anxiety ‘drug’

If you struggle with anxiety, you know it’s debilitating. Your brain is like a little chemical factory. It’s constantly churning out chemicals that affect how your body and mind function — that includes chemicals that could cure your chronic anxiety…

Dr. Isaac Eliaz

5 weight loss secrets beyond diet and exercise

Do you ever wonder why some people just can’t seem to achieve their healthy weight goals? It doesn’t matter which diet and exercise program they follow or how diligent they are — the weight just doesn’t budge. Or worse, they add more fat rather than burning it. What’s going on?

Jenny Smiechowski

Pop one of these to fight DNA-damaging air pollution

Did you know that the air you breathe every day could be damaging your DNA and putting you at risk for disease? It’s a scary thought. But air pollution poses a real danger to your health. It’s been linked to everything from asthma to Alzheimer’s.

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