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.
Obesity and Prenatal Omega-3s
Scientists continue to research the causes of obesity. For many, as we’ll see, it’s not as simple as eating less and moving more; in the study I’m going to review this week, the researchers are going prenatal. The Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC) is an ongoing longitudinal study to examine the […]
The Ridiculous: Obesity and Weight Loss Scams
As I planned this series of Memos, I wrestled with using the word “obesity” because everyone appears to hate that term—especially when directed at themselves. I decided to stick with it because it afflicts close to 40% of us in the United States. Before I get to ridiculous weight loss plans people are hawking, how […]
Nature in Motion
There are just some events in nature you don’t want to miss: Niagara Falls, glaciers in Alaska, the Grand Canyon. Those are relatively stable. A total eclipse of the sun is something fleeting that you have to see on its timetable. That’s why, with his mom’s blessing, Paula and I took Riley out of school […]
The Look of Success
With this being a holiday weekend, the Memo comes a day early. We hope that your holiday weekend is filled with safe travels and good times with family and friends, plus at least one chocolate bunny, whatever your beliefs. As motivation to get up every time you stumble and fall, here’s the look you make […]
Your Last Resort
Did you ever have one of those days where you just didn’t have it? What do you do? Here are some ideas: It doesn’t matter what type of exercise you do, but get that one thing done and you’ve done something positive you can feel good about. It may do wonders for you mentally and […]
Flavonols: Eat, Drink, and Maybe Live Longer
The analyses of the NHANES study on flavonols and mortality did more than just look at a class of phytonutrients; researchers also looked at the individual flavonols and how they impacted mortality. A little background first. Flavonoids Flavonoids are a group of phytonutrients made up of six classes of nutrients. They are flavan-3-ols, flavones, flavanones, […]
How Flavonols Affect Mortality
Observational studies are just what the title indicates: observing something over time. In the case of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), one of the objectives is to observe the relationship between diet and whether it impacts how long we live. I recently came across a paper that examined the relationship between flavonol […]
Stretch Your Body, Stretch Your Lifespan
“Stretching reduces your risk of dying from all causes” was the message from Tuesday’s Memo. How does that work? Why would stretching decrease mortality? There are no definitive answers, but here are a few possibilities. It may be that stretching strengthens the blood vessels as well as the connective tissue; that may decrease the potential […]
Reducing Your Risk of Dying the Easy Way
Quick! If I were to ask you which form of exercise would decrease your chance of dying, and especially your chance of dying from cardiovascular disease (CVD), what would your answer be? You’d probably pick some form of aerobic exercise such as running, elliptical training, walking, and cycling—any type of exercise that works the heart […]
Reality Check: Vitamin D
Let me be clear. You should know how much of every dietary supplement you take and why you take it. If you exceed the amounts recommended on the label, you should also know why. But the case of the 89-year-old man who died because of an assumed excess vitamin D intake shouldn’t change a reasonable […]
