April 14, 2015

Foods That Safely Reduce Blood Glucose

As we age, one of our priorities is maintaining optimal glucose levels to avoid heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Fortunately, many Life Extension® members use supplements, hormones, and drugs to improve their insulin sensitivity, which facilitates the more efficient removal of glucose from the blood. Less well-known, however, is the fact that there are certain foods proven to decrease blood sugar levels! Specifically, barley and black beans have been extensively studied for their ability to maintain glycemic control. In this article, you will learn how these two foods have been shown to lower  blood sugar and inhibit diabetes and other glycemic-stress-related problems such as cardiovascular disease and obesity. Including these two glucose-lowering foods […]
March 16, 2015

Effortless Healing: Can You Help Your Body Fix Itself?

Everyone ages eventually. But you can overcome many of these troubling symptoms If you know how. In Dr. Joseph Mercola’s latest book, Effortless Healing: 9 Simple Ways to Sidestep Illness, Shed Excess Weight, and Help Your Body Fix Itself, he gives you his top proven tools for fighting the effects of somatopause (the decline of your body’s hormone production as you age), including controlling your weight, getting rid of stubborn fat deposits, and slowing down the effects of aging so you can look and feel your best. If you’re currently challenged with a chronic health issue or excess weight, know that you’re […]
March 3, 2015

Peanuts Reduce Risk of Death From Heart Disease

A new study has revealed that nuts and peanuts help in reducing risk of death, especially from heart disease. While research has previously linked nut consumption with lower mortality, those studies focused mainly on higher-income, white populations. This study by Vanderbilt University and the Shanghai Cancer Institute was the first to discover that all races; blacks, whites, and Asians alike, could potentially increase heart health by eating nuts and peanuts. This study was based on three large on-going cohort studies. Participants included over 70,000 Americans of African and European descent from the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS), who were mostly low-income, and over 130,000 […]
February 17, 2015

Beat Skin Damage Inside and Out

It’s often alleged that Colorado sees 300 days of sunshine every year. While some will nitpick that number, we all know there is a splendid amount of sunshine in our beloved Centennial State. But there’s a steep price to pay for all of that sunshine, including skin cancer and skin aging. The UVA and UVB rays are to blame, as they can cause the formation of free radicals, a term used to describe damaged cells that can be problematic. “Sun is good,” said Judy Spindler, a nutrition health coach at Natural Grocers. “We need it for hormones and to feel well, but it […]
February 3, 2015

5 Easy Make-At-Home Infused Waters

You know you should drink more water, but those sugary drinks all aglow in the vending machine at 3 AM sure are tempting. Break the spell for good this year by arming yourself with any of these clever water concoctions—we promise they’re as good to your taste buds as they are to your body. To help you drink it all in (pun intended), we’ve gathered our top five easy, make-at-home infused waters, perfect for busy people who have decided to make 2015 their healthiest year yet. Just throw one of these mixes together in the evening (or in the morning—we […]
January 21, 2015

Higher Vitamin D Levels Increase Cancer Survival

The 2015 American Society of Cancer Oncology (ASCO) Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium held in San Francisco was the site of a presentation on January 12, 2015 concerning the finding of longer average survival among colorectal cancer patients with higher vitamin D levels in comparison with those whose levels were low. Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute analyzed data from 1,043 patients with colorectal cancer enrolled in a clinical trial that evaluted the effects chemotherapy plus the biologic therapies bevacizumab and/or cetuximab. Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured at the beginning of the study and dietary questionnaire responses were analyzed for vitamin D intake from […]
January 6, 2015

Autism & Vitamin D

I (John Cannell, MD) recently learned that I have the Broad Autism Phenotype, or what some people call mild autism. Learning about this was like “coming out of the closet.” It explains so much of myself to me, especially my tendency to get obsessed with things.
January 6, 2015

Whey Protein Helps Preserve Muscle During Weight Loss

An article published online on December 17, 2014 in the Journal of Nutrition reports the outcome of a double-blinded trial of overweight and obese men and women which found a protective role for whey protein supplementation against some of the loss of muscle that occurs with dieting. Researchers at Canada’s McMaster University randomized 19 men and 21 women to receive a fourteen day low calorie diet supplemented with 27 grams whey protein or 26 grams soy protein (resulting in the intake of an average of 1.3 grams protein per kilogram per day), or the addition of carbohydrate providing a number of calories equal to […]
January 6, 2015

Trans Fats Put Older Women At Risk for Stroke

Now you might think with that title that I’m being ageist, and/or sexist, to all my older women readers.  On the contrary, as a cardiologist, I want to help all of my older women readers to stay youthful and healthy for as long as possible.  That’s why I’m giving you ladies the inside scoop on something you may be eating that’s upping your risk for brain damage. Ladies Over 50:  Trans Fats Up Your Risk of Stroke and Memory Loss     Are you a woman over 50? Are you post menopausal? Do you consume foods that contain trans fats? If […]