Entries by Chet Zelasko

To Nap or Not to Nap

About 16 years ago, Paula and I spent several weeks (spread out from March to October) helping our son Matthew build his boat-building shop. The daily routine went something like this: start early, break for lunch, take a 30- to 45-minute nap, then work the rest of the day. Matthew and Kerri live near Charleston, […]

The Secret to Prevention

Consistency. I thought I’d lead with the secret to disease prevention instead of making you wait. Whatever you want to accomplish in taking charge of your health, you have to be consistent. The polypill study proved it although the scientists, being conservative in their conclusions, don’t come out and say it—but I will. Here’s why. […]

Will the Polypill Reduce Second Heart Attacks?

One of the issues with prevention is having people stick to a plan, even after an event as serious as a heart attack. Lifestyle changes are challenging to stick with, but so is something as simple as taking medications. Remember, this isn’t to prevent a heart attack; it’s to prevent a second one. That’s serious. […]

What Is Secondary Prevention?

Secondary prevention encompasses a wide range of health-related conditions. It includes people with risk factors such as high cholesterol and blood pressure, cigarette smoking, elevated HbA1c, atrial fibrillation, and more. It also includes people who may have had a heart attack, stroke, cancer, or were treated and now are trying to prevent a recurrence of […]

What Is Primary Prevention?

The key to aging with a vengeance is prevention. One of the obvious goals is to prevent problems such as stroke or heart attack in healthy people and in people who have risk factors for disease. Today’s Memo will deal with primary prevention. Primary prevention focuses on helping apparently healthy people prevent the onset of […]

The Spice of Progress

Last week was about consistency, and this week is about variety, the spice of progress. I recently ran into an orthopedist I know whose first words to me were, “What’s wrong with your ankle?” followed by, “How come you’re not walking properly? You’re not toeing off.” He did an assessment later that day. The ankle […]

What We Can Learn From “NYC Point Gods”

We’re watching a little more basketball these days because it’s Riley’s favorite sport. That’s how I discovered a documentary about the glory years of point guards in the 1980s and ’90s in New York City. It may still be a thing, but back then it was special. One part of the documentary focused on one […]

What Not to Do When You Want to Lose Weight

How did my mother-in-law lose 30 pounds when she was completely sedentary? I’ll tell you, but let me tell you first what not to do. Why begin there? Permanently changing your weight (or any other significant health goal) takes a lifetime commitment. You don’t know what life will bring, so the best way to attack […]

Weight Loss Is Always Possible

After last week’s Memos, you may think that you have to do something radical to address your body weight or some other health situation, but that’s not the case. You can lose weight under the most extreme conditions, even if you’re completely sedentary. Let me tell you about my mother-in-law, Ruth Jones. My mother-in-law struggled […]

The Price of Obesity

Continuing with comments made by Bill Maher, he suggests that the prevailing thought is that we can be healthy at any weight. Companies have embraced that thought with workout gear and other products featuring oversized models. Maher then goes on to talk about the ill health associated with being obese. Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, […]