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New Year, New You

New Year, New You on NBC

Is Your Fat Shrinking Your Brain?

It isn’t breaking news that the majority of the US population is overweight or obese.  The situation has been spiraling out of control for decades.  Prospects for impacting this trend have been so bleak that new data indicating that US obesity rates have stabilized generated extensive news coverage, including segments on two national television networks, with many sources contrasting the high prevalence of obesity with the fact that rates are not climbing.  Should we really be celebrating that a third of adults[1] and one in six kids and teenagers[2] are heavy enough to be considered obese, even if that percentage hasn’t statistically increased since 2003?  Well, let’s consider the population.  From 2003 to 2011, the US population increased by approximately 18 million.  So that would mean about 6 million more obese adults even though the percentage did not increase.  During this same period, humans as a race set a new milestone; for the first time in history there are more overweight people in the world than underweight.[3]  Read the rest of this entry »

Feed Your Brain to Avoid Dementia

As an unprecedented number of Americans approach middle and old age, there is growing public concern about the loss of mental acuity that often is attributed to aging. Medical advances have dramatically increased the likelihood of surviving into the period of life that has been associated both with wisdom and mental decline. It is becoming more and more common to enter into the eighth and ninth decades of life in generally good physical health, increasing the probability that the body will outlive the mind.  Maintaining cognitive competency is crucial for personal independence and quality of life.  Factor in the growing evidence that how one lives in earlier stages of life, including our food choices, affects cognitive aging; we all should be paying a little more attention to what we feed our brains. Read the rest of this entry »

Recapture Your Youth

Healthy aging is a topic that gets more and more vital each year.  More than 40 million Americans are 65 years old or greater and the proportion the U.S. population over 65 is anticipated to keep increasing.  Human lifespans are now at the longest they have ever been but more and more are questioning the best ways to ensure the quality of those extra years.

Aging is a complex process with many contributing environmental and genetic factors.  While a person’s lifespan is not absolutely programmed into their genes, longevity is dependent on genetic mechanisms.  This means that a doctor can’t run a genetic test to see what age you will live to, but they can see how well or poorly you are aging on a genetic level.  The damage that we accumulate through our lives is reflected in certain areas of our genes, and these areas in turn shape the ability of our cells to continue to function.

These genetic keys to aging are called telomeres.  Read the rest of this entry »

What Do Men Need? Testosterone!

More than fifty years ago the psychologist Abraham Maslow had a revolutionary impact on the field of psychology when he wrote about the Hierarchy of Needs.  His theory is often portrayed as a pyramid with the most basic fundamental needs in the broad base and the concept of self-actualization at the top.  According to Maslow the four most fundamental needs include physiological needs, safety, love & friendship and self esteem.  Critics of his theory have taken issue with Maslow’s rankings; believing he may have overlooked the most essential human need; to “feel alive”.  Perhaps nothing makes you feel more alive than feeling younger, healthier and more vital.  And nothing does all of that better for men than testosterone. Read the rest of this entry »

How Strong Is Your Heart?

Progress in our society has been measured in large part by events like the Industrial Revolution and the Information Age.  As a result, more of us are working with our brains instead of our bodies.  But that may not be such a good thing after all.  In our current global economy, we are dealing with more competition, unprecedented levels of stress and diminished physical activity.  America has become a nation of spectators.   Far too few are getting the exercise that lowers blood pressure, burns away body fat, strengthens muscle and bones, lowers cholesterol, improves mood and sleep, and protects against diabetes, dementia, several cancers, heart attacks and strokes.  But what exactly is the right kind of exercise? Read the rest of this entry »

Sugar: Villain in Disguise?

Mary Poppins may have recommended adding a spoonful of sugar to make some things a little more palatable, but Americans have taken that benign suggestion and run amok with it.  American consumption of added sugars has increased drastically over the last several decades.  While excessive sugar consumption is arguably the main reason for our epidemic of obesity and type-2 diabetes, the extra empty calories may just be the tip of the iceberg.  As researchers delve deeper into the fundamental causes of the diseases of Western lifestyles, they are starting to see links to sugar consumption; and the evidence implicating added sugars as a contributing factor in the development of heart disease, hypertension, and several common cancers is starting to look pretty good. Read the rest of this entry »

For Better Longevity, You Are What You Eat…And Do

So what does that say about most Americans?  An increasingly large segment of the US population is overweight or obese, and nearly as many admit to being couch potatoes. Convincing evidence shows that weight gain and obesity increases the risk of several different cancers, including colon, prostate and breast cancer. Studies continue to reveal a link between food consumption, exercise, lifestyle choices and health impact. And the latest research suggests eating fruits and vegetables, limiting alcohol intake and regular exercise just may lower your risk for cancer.  Read the rest of this entry »

Too Young To Have A Stroke? R.I.P Nate Dogg

Stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States and it is the number one cause of serious, long-term disability. Most of us think about strokes as a condition affecting the elderly.  While it is true that the vast majority of strokes occur after age 65, recent statistics point to a troubling trend among young to middle aged people.  The incidence of stroke is increasing at the highest rate among the 40 to 60 year old segment of the population.  Currently, nearly 1 in 4 strokes occur before age 65.  Are you at risk? Read the rest of this entry »

Get Your Mojo Back

Remember how good you felt in your twenties?  You were full of energy, vigor and lust.  Your responsibilities were few and just having fun was fairly routine.  The world was your oyster.  You really had the mojo-thing going on.  But life can get in the way.  Career, family and the demands of our modern life can make you feel tired, overwhelmed, stressed-out, grumpy, and lethargic.  Once you’ve lost some of your mojo, it can be hard to muster the enthusiasm to get it back.  But that is precisely when you must fight the hardest.  One of the best ways to get back into a groove is to become more physically active. Read the rest of this entry »