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.
Better to Wear Out
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoHow did you do on the vegetable and fruit challenge? Paula and I averaged over five per day for the holiday weekend; cutting up vegetables to use in a dip always helps the average. Remember—just send me an email saying, “I did it!” to get an invitation to the Insiders Conference Call next Wednesday evening. […]
The Holiday Challenge III
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoIf you do something more than once, it can become a tradition. I decided to do the Holiday Challenge again with a slight twist. If you remember, the challenge last year was to see who could eat the most servings of vegetables and fruit over the 4th of July weekend. I’m still interested in volume: […]
Just Breathe
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoAs I was lying there before my colonoscopy, waiting for the drugs to kick in to put me in la-la land during the procedures, I used a form of the technique used in this study of dealing with stress: rhythmic beathing. First, the paper. Researchers recruited 27 graduate students to participate in a clinical trial […]
Living with Stress and Anxiety
/in Memos/by Chet Zelasko“May you live in interesting times.” —Ancient Chinese Curse Paula got that message in a fortune cookie many years ago, and she thinks it has proven to be true. Interesting is one thing, but with all that goes on in our lives, it can be downright stressful; I got stressed just trying to find out […]
Creatine: Does Size Matter?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoThe researchers in Tuesday’s study demonstrated that the use of creatine did not increase muscle size after considering the increase in fluid levels. The major problem is the limited scope of the study: looking only at changes in lean body mass. While the researchers should be given credit for the approach using DEXA, there are […]
Does Creatine Help Build Muscle?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoCreatine is a naturally occurring chemical your body makes by combining glycine, arginine, and methionine. It’s primarily used in energy production as a precursor in the manufacture of ATP in your body. Creatine is often used to help increase muscle mass in people who train with weights and that’s the focus of the paper I’m […]
More About Fats and Oils
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoIn my research on fats and oils, I found out a few things I didn’t know and discovered some more research about seed oils. The issues raised about seed oils have always been related to how unhealthy seed oils are rather than the overconsumption of seed oils. But are they as hazardous as they’re made […]
Cooking with Fat
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoPaula and I watch a lot of cooking shows, which led me to wonder: what are the best types of fat to use while cooking? In addition to oils and seed oils, the question would include animal and vegetable sources. I’ll leave taste off the table (or cooktop) because everyone has an opinion. Cooking would […]
Maltodextrin in Moderation
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoNow that we know a little about maltodextrin (MAL), let’s get into the details. I think there are two issues behind the concern about maltodextrin. The first is that MAL increases the glycemic index (GI). The GI of MAL is nearly as high as glucose, coming in at 95. That’s why it’s found in some […]
What Is Resistant Maltodextrin?
/in Memos/by Chet ZelaskoI received a question from a long-time reader last week concerning maltodextrin and why it might be bad enough to end up on some health experts’ do-not-eat list. I’ve never written about it before, so let’s take a look. Let’s start with this: there are two forms of maltodextrin. One is known as maltodextrin (MAL) […]