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.
Do You Have High Blood Pressure?
On Monday November 13, you may have awakened with normal blood pressure, and by that afternoon, you may have joined the ranks of those with high blood pressure (HBP). That’s when the American Heart Association (AHA) released their new HBP clinical practice guidelines at their national conference. With the new guidelines, close to half of […]
Thanksgiving Wishes
I got a few questions about the safety of microwaving after my Memos on nutrients in broccoli. In doing the research, I saw no evidence that there were any changes to the chemical composition of the vegetables. The science clearly demonstrates that the phytonutrients were not altered nor decreased. I know the Internet says crazy […]
The Bottom Line on Chlorpyrifos
Today’s health news is full of controversy, some based on reality but most not. Typically, I would have concluded that the op-ed piece was just that: an opinion that exaggerated the facts to put forth a specific point of view. But before I go further, let me be clear: I’m not in favor of any […]
Chlorpyrifos: Checking the Statistics
When I began my research, the one statistic I had to check was that fruits and vegetables contained 140 times the amounts safe for 1–2 year old (1). Was it sensational or based in science? I’m good at what I do, but I couldn’t find it anywhere. I did find a lot of interesting studies […]
A Pesticide Story
It’s not where you begin; it’s where you end up. Pesticides are designed to kill bugs on our farms, in our homes, and in our yards. One such pesticide is chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate pesticide. It’s a very effective nerve toxin that will essentially kill anything with a nervous system if the exposure is high enough. […]
I’m Recommending a Broccoli Bath
This week’s final question is whether cooking destroys the nutrients in vegetables. If it does, is there any method better than others for preserving the nutrient content? Let’s take a look. Researchers examined three cooking methods with several vegetables including broccoli. The methods were boiling, sous-vide cooking, and water immersion cooking at temperatures below 212 […]
Would You Eat a Broccoli Popsicle?
Uh-h-h-h, no. I don’t think I could convince anyone to eat a popsicle made of broccoli. But the question is: does freezing affect the nutrient content of broccoli? If it does, would it increase the nutrients like cutting it up does or lower the nutrient content compared to fresh? That’s what researchers attempted to find […]
Broccoli: Cut It Up
In preparing my 2018 nutrition seminar, I came across a paper on why we need to supplement our diet with a multivitamin-multimineral (I’ll be giving an overview of that paper in the next Insider Conference Call next week), and it raised a question. Quality supplements have precise amounts of specific nutrients. But what affects the […]
What to Do After a Bypass
A family friend recently had a quadruple bypass surgery or CABG for short; CABG stands for coronary artery bypass graft. In case you’re thinking all our friends are old, I have to tell you this man is 47; we met him through our kids. So what happens now? He’ll go through recovery and rehab. Here […]
Vaping: The Spit Test
The use of e-cigarettes, also known as vaping, is gaining in popularity, especially among young adults. I wouldn’t recommend it because the research is incomplete; here’s the latest study. Researchers recruited subjects for three groups: 15 non-smokers, 14 e-cigarette users, and 15 cigarette smokers. The researchers had the subjects spit into sterile containers. Then they […]
