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.
Ageism in the Mirror
In today’s society, there is one form of discrimination that is tolerated without question: ageism. It’s easy to get the impression that after a certain age, people become more of a burden than a blessing to themselves and others. Recent research confirms that most people over 50 experience ageism. It happens in stores, restaurants, and […]
Research Update: Omega-3s and Lung Function
Lung function declines as we age; depending on how we treat our lungs, our habits can determine the rate of decline. Working in toxic situations (or even worse, smoking cigarettes) can accelerate the decline. That’s why a recent study that examined blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids and measures of lung function found that our […]
Research Update: Omega-3s and Chronic Kidney Disease
Two recently published articles examined the link between omega-3 fatty acids from fish and two conditions; let’s begin with a study on fish consumption and chronic kidney disease (CKD). By definition, CKD is the loss of kidney function over time. The kidneys are the major blood filtering system, so continued decline can impact the entire […]
The Final Question on Ultra-Processed Food
Here’s what we found out so far: When we eat ultra-processed food (UPF), we tend to eat way too much of them, upwards of 500 more calories per meal. We absorb more of those calories; the absorption starts sooner in the small intestine because of the simple carbohydrates in the UPF. Finally, we found out […]
Ultra-Processed Foods: Losing Calories
In our examination of the research on ultra-processed food (UPF), we’ve found out that we consume more calories and that we absorb more calories if we eat UPF. The final question is probably going to seem a little unusual. Do we actually lose more calories if we eat less UPF? In other words, do we […]
Are Ultra-Processed Foods Absorbed Faster?
The next question to consider with UPFs is this: Do you absorb more calories from UPFs than you would from minimally processed food? The answer appears to be yes, but requires some explanation. Keep in mind that UPFs have been mechanically and chemically altered during the manufacturing process. The original grains of wheat, corn, or […]
Research Update: Ultra-Processed Foods
Ultra-processed food (UPF) has been in the news again with several research papers published in the last few months. After I read the press releases as well as several articles by health columnists, I found and read the research papers. I’ve narrowed it down to three questions about UPFs plus my own question, which I’ll […]
Beating the Heat
Climate change is real, and it doesn’t really matter whether it’s man-made or a natural progression of the planet. At least for the foreseeable future, temperatures are rising, droughts are more common, and the storms are more severe. We will most likely see excessive temperatures for days, even weeks at a time. While everyone is […]
No Sweat!
I don’t know exactly when it happened—suddenly I don’t seem to sweat. Disappointing, because it was something that I looked forward to, believe it or not. To me it symbolized getting a good workout, whether during exercise or working in the yard, but it stopped as I approached 70. That means one of my cooling […]
On the Road Again
To say that I’ve had a little agony over not running would be an understatement. I certainly don’t want to do anything that’s going to impact the new joint in my knee; on the other hand, my frustration continued to grow over the inability to exercise as hard as I want to exercise. I did […]
