Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Maintaining Your Melon
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoChanging one’s lifestyle is difficult to do, and I think it’s especially challenging if the benefits could be years in the future — specifically doing those things that need to be done now to reduce the decline in cognition that happens as we get older. Two recently published studies have demonstrated how that’s possible. The […]
Is Xylitol Dangerous?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOver the past few years, research papers have suggested that sugar alcohols, specifically erythritol, may increase blood clotting and potentially lead to a major adverse coronary event or MACE for short. It gave me pause — to the extent that I stopped using sugar-free gum when I work out. The same research group recently presented […]
The Memo: AI-Free Zone
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI’m still bugged about the topic I wrote about last week, polyphenols in fruit. It’s not that I don’t think it was an interesting topic. It was. Why did it show up in press release now when it was published in 2023? My sense is that AI was involved, based on what I’ve read and […]
Fruit: Variety is the Key
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI didn’t want to hold you in suspense, so I already revealed that you can put the banana in your smoothie if you like. I’ll tell you why, but first a little more about the study. The biggest issue, which the researchers acknowledge, is the limited number of subjects. Eight subjects just aren’t enough, nor […]
Should You Skip the Banana?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOver the years, I think I’ve made it clear that I don’t drink smoothies of any type. I’m also aware that it’s a preferred method for many people to get their fruit, protein, fiber, and other nutrients in a convenient manner. That’s why a recent press release for a study published in 2023 caught my […]
Carbs and Insulin: Diet Matters
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOn Wednesday, I told you about a study of people who experienced an energy crash after eating carbs. The next study was more pragmatic: we have non-diabetic people who seem to have reactive hypoglycemia (RH), but can we treat it with diet alone? This is a concern because many believe that RH in these people […]
Carbohydrates and Insulin
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOn a typical busy morning, a person has a fairly good dose of carbohydrates in the form of a sugary cereal, a bagel, a pastry, or a breakfast sandwich from a drive-thru. Then a couple of hours later, they seem to crash—not their car, but their energy seems to drain away. Maybe they start to […]
Three Challenges
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThis weekend is the last holiday of the summer or the first of the fall, depending on how you look at it. I’d like to challenge you to try three different tasks if they are not part of your regular routine. I’ve talked about high-intensity interval workouts a lot the past couple of months. I’m […]
Functional Essential Fatty Acids
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoUnderstanding that linoleic acid is the essential omega-6 fatty acid and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is the essential omega-3 fatty acid, the logical question would be what about fish oil and other sources of omega-3 fatty acids? It’s just a little complicated, but let me explain. It’s true that in humans, we can use ALA to […]
Essential Fatty Acids
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThere are always controversies in nutrition. With all that’s been written about seed oils and sources of omega-3 fatty acids, I thought we’d go back to the basics this week—back to what are the essential fatty acids, seen above floating in the bloodstream. Similar to essential amino acids, essential fatty acids are the fats that […]