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.
Immune Boost 1-2-3: Echinacea
The cold and flu season is still around. The seasonal allergy season is right around the corner and may have started depending on where you live. When you feel that first tickle in the back of your throat, that first nasally sensation, that’s when you have to take action. That’s what we do in my […]
How to Fix a Broken Heart
What causes broken heart syndrome (BHS)? Most types of cardiomyopathy are idiopathic—no one really knows how it happens. In the case of BHS, there’s a severe stressor, good or bad, that precipitates the symptoms. But what is actually going on? I found two potential explanations. First, an excess amount of catecholamines are released in response […]
Broken Hearts and Octopus Traps
Broken heart syndrome (BHS) has several names, such as stress-induced cardiomyopathy. One you’ve probably never heard is takotsubo cardiomyopathy. BHS is similar to other forms of cardiomyopathy in that the heart gets significantly weaker. If you view the appearance of the heart during echocardiography, the bottom of the heart, specifically the left ventricle, is weaker […]
Broken Heart Syndrome
This week’s focus is on American Heart Month and specifically heart disease in women. While heart disease is the leading cause of death in both men and women, there’s one type of heart disease that affects more women than men: broken heart syndrome. Can you die from a broken heart? Absolutely. We’ll find out how […]
The Way Things Used to Be
On the radio, I heard a woman say, “I just want things to be the way they used to be!” That mirrors the frustration that I read from emails people send about being older. I don’t necessarily mean those over 60; I get the same type of frustration from 30-year-olds who find that their bodies […]
Who’s in Charge?
“Make sure you define the disease; it doesn’t define you.” That quote is from physician Dr. Louis Papa in a video I recently watched. What a powerful statement. While the discussion was about heart disease, he said it applies to any disease. We all have health challenges; you won’t escape. Even if you have the best […]
Training Pays Off
Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Ouch—that’s tough for a guy from Buffalo to say, but after this past weekend, it’s true. I talked about how his dedication to training and attention to detail give him the energy and focus to perform. But after all the training, […]
Energy Thieves: Stress
The final energy thief is stress. It can range from everyday stress such as the traffic on the way to work to your kid having the flu and you have to find someone to watch him or miss work. We adapt to those types of stress, but what about the big stressors? Illness, for you […]
Energy Thieves: Medications
Another class of energy thieves is medications. This may not apply to everyone but based on the latest CDC stats, close to 50% of all American adults take at least one prescription drug and almost one-quarter take three medications or more. There are three ways medications can steal your energy when you need it to […]
Energy Thieves: Food
This week I’m focusing on potential energy thieves, and I’ve identified three areas that can hinder performance; one of those is the foods we eat. The two primary food thieves that affect me and many others are refined carbohydrates and deep-fat fried food, but the reasons are polar opposites: Refined carbohydrates and some starchy foods […]
