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.
Schedule Your Physical
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoMost of want to be healthier, fitter, and weigh less in 2017. In order to really know what your goals should be, you need to know how you measure up right now. That’s why you should schedule your physical today. You can track your weight on a scale, and you can track your miles and your heart rate easily, but there’s more to health than how much weight you can lift. The only way to know where you stand is by getting a physical.
If the Check Oil light comes on, do you ignore it? If the Low . . .
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Rule 1: Eat Less
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe holiday season is full of tradition, and I hope you celebrated according to your beliefs and spent the time with family and friends. But as the end of the year approaches, it’s time to get ready for 2017. This week, I’m breaking with tradition and doing a message a day to help you get ready. In addition, I’m doing a Detox Weekend via Facebook January 6–8.
One of the things that we should all do is eat less. I’m not talking about losing weight. That’s important if you need to, but I mean . . .
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The Last Word on Sugar
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe sugar war continues in the health headlines these last few days of 2016. Here’s a summary of what was said and my opinion.
Researchers reviewed the science behind the nutritional guidelines that fewer than 10% of calories should come from sugar (1), a position held by the World Health Organization and the USDA. After examining the science behind those guidelines, they concluded that the guidelines are not trustworthy.
Experts responded by calling what the researchers did junk science (2). The researchers were funded by a group composed of soda, candy, and fast-food companies. The experts said that . . .
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The Detox Myth: Half Wrong
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoWhen health experts criticize cleansing and detox programs, they attack the many questionable programs that are touted on the Internet. From colonics to foot pads, their criticism is correct. But they also get it half wrong.
Cleansing is another word for fasting, and there’s plenty of research to support a fast of two to four days to improve the immune system. But fasting doesn’t mean you get no calories; by definition, fasting is taking in fewer calories than your body needs. To make fasting more efficient, restricting calories to 800 or fewer seems to accomplish that task in . . .
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The Detox Myth: Half Right
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI’ll spend the next two blogs addressing the legitimacy of detox arguments that I’ve seen on several websites in their year-end health recommendations. When it comes to detox, they get it half right and half wrong. Today, the half right.
During presentations, I often describe some detox programs as something like standing outside on one foot during the full moon while drinking some lemon-pepper-maple syrup concoction with one hand while rubbing your belly with the other. There are some weird . . .
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The Science Behind Holiday Spices: Cinnamon
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoAs you enjoy that cider spiced with cloves and nutmeg, we’ll finish with the most traditional spice of the holiday: cinnamon. It’s used in many sweet and savory dishes all year long, but when it comes to smells that conjure up the holidays, no spice really does it better than cinnamon. Not only does cinnamon add a characteristic flavor to many foods, it’s one of the most researched spices in health today.
Cinnamon is a spice obtained from the inner bark of several tree species from the genus Cinnamomum. Harvesting the cinnamon involves removing branches from a . . .
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The Science Behind Holiday Spices: Nutmeg
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoOne of the signature spices of the holiday season is nutmeg, and nothing says nutmeg more than eggnog. For me, it can end right there but in doing the background research, I found nutmeg is used in a variety of holiday dishes from cookies to main dishes to holiday-spiced lattes.
Nutmeg is a commonly used spice derived from the seed of the Myristica fragrans tree. A little nutmeg goes a long way, so it’s used sparingly especially when grated fresh. Just like cloves, nutmeg is being researched for its health properties. In the past year, research studies have . . .
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The Science Behind Holiday Spices: Cloves
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoNo one has to tell us that Christmas and the New Year are coming; it’s in the air. You can smell the holiday season this time of year. This week, I’m going to cover three spices used this time of year and talk about some of the potential health benefits of each. I’m not suggesting their use makes foods healthy if they’re also high in sugar and fat—just that there’s some interesting science behind these spices.
If you prepare . . .
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The Answer to the Sugar Conundrum
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoWhether you have prediabetes, type 2 diabetes, or are just concerned about the calories in the sugary treats this holiday season, what should you do? Go without and feel deprived, or indulge and pay some sort of price? Let’s take a look by beginning with a few questions.
Why do you want to reduce your sugar intake? Do you want to reduce your caloric intake? Is it because you know you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes? Are you concerned about gaining weight over the holiday season? Once you know why you want to avoid sugar, you can start . . .
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Sugar Alternatives
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoDealing with our sweet tooth this week, let’s look at sugar alternatives that may give us better choices if we don’t want to use artificial sweeteners.
Sugar alcohols are one alternative; xylitol, sorbitol, and other sugar alcohols are often used in candies and other treats. They can be a reasonable alternative to regular sugar, but there are a few things you need to know. First, they have a pronounced aftertaste; it feels like a cool sensation. Second, they’re not calorie free but . . .
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