Whether you are genetically underweight (have a BMI below 18.5), have a medical condition that makes it difficult to stay at a healthy weight, need to gain pounds during pregnancy, or would simply like to add lean muscle mass, putting…
Is Your Commute Killing You?
How’s that for a sensational headline? Perhaps more accurate is what Bill Briggs wrote in his MSNBC article on the topic: “…new science suggests your sluggish slog from home to work (and back again) is slowly sucking the life out…
Posted in cancer, commute, eating well, exercise, healthy choices, high blood pressure, obesity, sleep, stress, traffic
Save Your Skin!
May is Melanoma/Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention Month, and a study published in Aprilindicates that between the 1970s and 2000s melanoma rates increased fourfold for men under 40 and a whopping eightfoldfor women under 40. The researchers attribute the increase…
Posted in appearance, cancer, dermatologist, look younger, melanoma, outdoors, sun exposure, tanning
Inspiration! Or, Why I Love Conferences
Some of you may not know that I am branching out into writing middle-grade fiction, which is entirely new territory for me. While it is vastly different than the health writing I’ve based my career on thus far, there is…
Back on the Road
I’ve got running on the brain, what with the Boston Marathon yesterday and my first attempt at jogging this morning. Yes, you read that right—I’m back on the road! I had my final physical therapy appointment yesterday for my foot,…
Shopping Guide: Foods Low in Saturated Fat and Sodium
Another reader question: What can you eat that is lower in saturated fat AND sodium? Seems like when they lower saturated fat they add sodium. It’s not your imagination—when food manufacturers lower the fat in their products, they often increase…
Reading Past the Headlines
A while back I asked readers to submit ideas for questions you’d like to see answered on the blog. One reader responded with this, which I have heard variations on for as long as I’ve been writing about health: [What…
Are You at Risk for Diabetes?
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in America today—chances are, even if you don’t have it, you know several people who do. Diabetes is also largely preventable, and the first step to preventing it is to…
Want to Live Longer? Eat Less Red Meat.
A study published yesterday in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that eating too much red meat can shorten your lifespan. Now, red meat has had a bad reputation for a while (blame its saturated fat and cholesterol content, which…
Posted in blood pressure, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, eating well, insulin, nitrites, processed foods, red meat, sodium
The Calcium Connection
The recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for calcium is 1,000 mg per day for men and women ages 19-50. After age 50, women get bumped up to 1,200 mg per day. Although it is far and away better to get your…
Posted in blood pressure, bone health, calcium, cardiovascular disease, food, fracture, fruits and vegetables
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