Summer months bring on barbecue feasts. Did you know there is a downside to barbecuing? That’s right, grilling your food on the BBQ can actually produce carcinogenic compounds in your food! But wait, don’t throw in the towel just yet, you can make your barbecue very healthy by doing a couple of things. Grill those veggies! We all know about …
Healthy: What’s Just Right For You
Nike sits less than an hour drive from my place. It’s the world headquarters of the “just do it” fitness brand. It’s an icon slogan — and I’d like to suggest a second slogan to add to your health mindset. Be like Goldilocks and find your “just right” balance of exercise and eating. Like Goldilocks, we need to evaluate what …
The Unsung Hero: Your Liver
When was the last time you thought about your liver? Well, for most of us, we ignore it. In a recent Detroit Free Press article, 20-something Allison Grainger shares how her liver affected her whole life. “The lethargy was so intense, the 26-year-old quit her job working as a spa concierge. Her primary care doctor sent her to a specialist, …
Can You Reverse Heart Disease?
You know that silly saying, “You are what you eat.” What might have started as a parental push to urge children to eat their veggies has more legitimacy than we may think. As I’ve been reviewing heart health information over the last few months, I’ve been reading about Dean Ornish, MD. Dr. Ornish’s premise is that we can not only …
Looking at the Whole Heart
We’ve been talking about metabolic syndrome recently and it’s a perfectly timed segue into February, often celebrated for love and everything related to hearts. (Check out the recent blogs to see the connection between heart health and metabolic syndrome.) Let’s build on this idea of heart health, but with an added perspective. In addition to the expected advice … like …
Have You Considered Your Health Span?!
The medical and health worlds have started to talk more about health span. Giving an overview of the idea, this introduction from a 2019 Harvard Medical School states: In 1919, the average life expectancy for people born in the U.S. was about 56 years. Today, that has risen to almost 79 years. Older populations in particular are growing. … As …
Does Metabolic Syndrome Explain Your Health?
The medical world can’t quite agree on what to call the metabolic dysfunction that affects more than 35 percent of the US population. You’ll hear metabolic disorder, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic disease, but these three names address the same health concern. Quoting from Healthline’s More than One-Third of Americans Have Dangerous Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of as …
Frazzled to Flexible? Foster a Team.
My son recently asked me, “How are you doing, mom?” He and I had been sharing updates. His question was partially prompted by the fact that I’ve been helping babysit my new grandson, his nephew. It is a joy and a priority — and it is a lot of work. My grandson is 20 pounds of excited adorableness. Other than …