October 23, 2023

How To Get Fit for Fall Eating Season

The fall and winter seasons, combined with the upcoming holidays, mean the re-emergence of those comforting classic dishes: Mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and a plethora of pastries. Many of the typical comfort foods are filled with calories and fat, plus the potential to overeat these dishes during the colder seasons is always tempting; but if you’re smart about it, you don’t have to deprive yourself, said Karen Bright, adult and youth nutrition outreach instructor for the WVU Extension Service. “The biggest thing people have problems with that I’ve noticed is portion size,” she said. “During the holidays and colder […]
October 23, 2023

The New Science of the Body’s Immune System

  CLEANLINESS IS BAD. Most of the cells in your body are not yours. Given half a chance your body will try to kill you. A terminal cancer patient rises from the grave. A medical marvel defies HIV. Two women with autoimmunity discover their own bodies have turned against them. In An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System: A Tale in Four Lives, New York Times writer Matt Richtel uniquely entwines these intimate stories with science’s centuries-long quest to unlock the mysteries of sickness and health, and illuminates the immune system as never before. The immune […]
September 24, 2023

Magnesium Deficiency – Normal Sign of Aging?

Some of the most frequent complaints I hear from my patients, especially those older than 50, involves muscle cramps and spasms, notably those leg zingers that make them jump out of bed in the middle of the night; trouble sleeping; and daytime stiffness or pain in their muscles.  Most of my patients laugh these symptoms off as just “getting old,” but they’re surprised when I tell them these are more likely symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, which can easily be corrected.  Read on and see if you have any of the common symptoms of low magnesium and what I recommend. […]
September 10, 2023

10 Simple Ways For You To Love Your Age

Age–the older we get the stronger the messages become: you’re no longer attractive, you’re invisible, your health is failing, you are out of style and over the hill. But wait . . . here comes Barbara Hannah Grufferman with a book that will blast those demeaning and degrading messages to smithereens and even make you love your age! The book is called LOVE YOUR AGE: The Small-step Solution To a Better, Longer, Happier Life and it belongs on the nightstand of every woman who has kissed her half-century birthday goodbye. Warm, engaging, and user-friendly, this powerful, practical guide to aging […]
August 16, 2023

Eight Surprising Causes of Dehydration

As a health conscious individual, you probably know the importance of drinking plenty of fluids. It is likely that you sip lemonade on hot days, drink water during tough workouts and pack sports drinks in your child or grandchild’s lunch bag for soccer practice. These are all important steps to squelch the common causes of dehydration, but what about the uncommon causes that catches you unaware? A wide array of medical issues can lead to dehydration. Considering that our bodies are made up of 50% to 65% water, this element is critical to virtually all our physical functions. Every organ […]
August 16, 2023

How To Thrive in a Turbulent World

Forget Type As and Bs. The future lies with Type Rs—the resilient individuals, leaders, businesses, families, and communities who turn challenges into opportunities in times of upheaval, crisis, and change. Type R stands for Transformative Resilience and is the focus of a new book by strategy and leadership expert Ama Marston and psychotherapist Stephanie Marston — Type R: Transformative Resilience for Thriving in a Turbulent World. According to the authors, those who follow the principles of this program find themselves more and more able to cope with difficult circumstances in these challenging times. Readers learn strategies that allow them to […]
July 18, 2023

The Cure: Nature and Old World Medicine?

  Sunlight. Forest bathing. Fasting. Cold-water baths. Bloodletting. Leeches. Cupping. These ways of healing have been practiced in different cultures around the world for centuries. But as a cardiologist working with the most high-tech medical tools, Dr. Andreas Michalsen was taught that these practices were medieval and outdated, even dangerous. As he saw surprising results in his patients, however, Dr. Michalsen explored more deeply those seemingly “outdated” methods of healing. The more he researched, the more he was convinced by the power of natural medicine–naturopathy–to heal the human body. Over the past few decades, Dr. Michalsen has published the most […]
June 20, 2023

Brain Wash: A Prescription for a Better Life

Contemporary life provides us with infinite opportunities, along with endless temptations. We can eat whatever we want, whenever we want. We can immerse ourselves in the vast, enticing world of digital media. We can buy goods and services for rapid delivery with our fingertips or voice commands. But living in this 24/7 hyper-reality poses serious risks to our physical and mental states, our connections to others, and even to the world at large. Brain Wash: Detox Your Mind for Clearer Thinking, Deeper Relationships, and Lasting Happiness by David Perlmutter, MD, and Austin Perlmutter, MD, builds from a simple premise: Our […]
June 7, 2023

Wrong Vegetable Oil Increases Heart Attack Risk

Heart attack rates peaked in the United States in 1968. In this era, it was not unusual for a man under age 60 to die from sudden cardiac arrest.  A debate raged in the 1960s as to which dietary factors were responsible for the epidemic of coronary artery blockage. One side claimed saturated fat to be a factor because it raised blood cholesterol. They pointed to studies showing that vegetable fat sources such as corn would therefore reduce heart attack risk. These vegetable sources of oil contain high amounts of omega-6 fats. Excessive consumption of omega-6s can create chronic inflammatory reactions. […]