Getting proper nutrition can be difficult as a person ages, but losing some nutrients could have lasting effects. Anemia is a common condition among older adults, but it is also frequently overlooked. About one in five adults over the age of 65 may suffer from anemia. Anemia is characterized by low levels of red blood cells, which can cause a number of symptoms like weakness and fatigue. It can be caused by improper nutrition or some medical conditions. Untreated, low levels of iron could have long-lasting effects. Here are four things to know about iron deficiency and how to treat […]
Mood is one of those human experiences that’s difficult to quantify, tricky to change. You know when you’re in a good mood and when things are sour. But what’s at work physiologically in determining your mood? Can transitory events, like a baby shower, cause mood swings? Can you change your mood with a simple shift in outlook? Can supplements help? When it comes to shaping your mood, it might help to think of it like building a house; you start by fortifying the foundation with more bricks and mortar. For the brain—your body’s cornerstone—that means fat. The brain is composed […]
Eating white button mushrooms may improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, according to a study which could pave the way for new diabetes treatments and prevention strategies. Feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes – microbiota – to produce more short chain fatty acids, specifically propionate from succinate, according to Margherita T Cantorna, a professor at Pennsylvania State University in the US. Previous research has shown that succinate and propionate can change the expression of genes needed to manage glucose production, she said. “Managing glucose better has implications for diabetes, as well as other metabolic […]
Our diet has a huge effect on our brain and our mental wellbeing, even protecting against dementia. So, what should be on the menu? Like our bodies, our brains have very specific food requirements. And in this eye-opening book from an author who is both a neuroscientist and a certified integrative nutritionist, we learn what should be on our menu. Dr. Lisa Mosconi, whose research spans an extraordinary range of specialties including brain science, the microbiome, and nutritional genomics, notes in her new book, Brain Food, that the dietary needs of the brain are substantially different from those of the […]
Fall is almost here and so is the colder, damper weather. For my patients and readers with arthritis that means
One of the biggest fears my patients have about getting older is losing their mental sharpness. But, the truth is, mental decline is not a “given” of getting older. Rather, it’s a consequence, or the end result, of not safeguarding your overall health. That’s why I’d like to tell you about 3 simple ways you can greatly reduce your risk of mental decline… Slow Mental Decline 3 Simple Ways When I tell my patients that they likely take better care of their cars than their own health, they laugh. But, then they think about it a moment and agree that […]
Need a pick-me-up without resorting to energy drinks or caffeine? Add these 9 ingredients to your next dish to get an all-natural mood booster. Use in a recipe: Nutty Lentil Burgers Use in a recipe: Berry Crisp Use in a recipe: Beet-Raspberry Lentil Bowl Use in a recipe: Leek, Mushroom and Zucchini Noodle Soup Use in a recipe: Kale-Stuffed Portobellos with Millet Use in a recipe: Warm Millet Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Pine Nuts Use in a recipe: Cherry-Walnut Bites Use in a recipe: Walnut-Crusted Salmon with Edamame Mash Use in a recipe: Chinese 5-Spice Shrimp with Mango-Carrot Slaw […]
An article appearing on August 8, 2018 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology:
The fruit of the oldest tree food known to man, dating back to 7,000 BC, walnuts (Juglans regiaL.) truly stand
Americans have a history of obsession with fads designed to help us live forever. But to what end? Death, notes author Barbara Ehrenreich in her new book, Natural Causes, still awaits us all. In this lively cultural history of our attempts to control our fate, she details the extreme lengths we will go to keep from dying. A razor-sharp polemic which offers an entirely new understanding of our bodies, ourselves, and our place in the universe, Natural Causes describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenreich topples the shibboleths that guide […]