Behaviors
FDA Warns - Beware Contaminated Weight Loss Products
In late December 2008, the FDA published a warning to consumers about over the counter weight loss products now on the shelves that are contaminated with unapproved drugs and chemicals. If you are considering taking a weight loss supplement, please read this first.
Jumping JUPITER – Do You Know Your CRP?
One of the biggest splashes in medicine this year came when, in November 2008, the New England Journal of Medicine published the results of a study called JUPITER.
It has the whole medical world talking. This study was done to see if taking a cholesterol-lowering statin drug for primary prevention would help healthy people prevent heart attacks, strokes, heart bypass surgery, hospitalization for chest pain, and death from cardiovascular events. It did.
Read on to see why this study may change national treatment guidelines and what your health provider recommends to reduce your health risks.
Alcohol and Medications – Are You Making Smart Choices?
The holidays are here and many of us will be attending celebrations where alcohol is served. If you take medications and drink occasionally (or even regularly), you face a dilemma. Should you take your medications when you drink?
What’s the smart choice? You may be surprised at the answer.
Do You Take Omega 3 Fish Oils? Are You Taking Enough?
The American Heart Association recommends that patients with elevated triglycerides take 2 to 4 grams (that’s 2000 to 4000 mgs) of omega 3 fish oils a day. In my practice, I recommend 4 grams per day for almost everyone – particularly those people with abnormal cholesterol profiles, Metabolic Syndrome, diabetes, and/or cardiovascular disease.
That’s the dose I take myself - for prevention - even though my cholesterol profile is normal. But when I ask my patients how much they take, most of the time they say “one a day” – and that is not enough. Read here why more omega 3s are better than not enough.
6 Post-Thanksgiving Tips for a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season
I hope you enjoyed a bountiful and magnificent feast yesterday and ate until you couldn’t hold another bite! I hope you were surrounded by people you love and who love you back. I hope there was more laughter than tears, more comfort than stress, and more to be thankful for than you thought there would be going into the holiday.
So, the winter holidays are now upon us. I have a few suggestions for you to digest along with your Thanksgiving dinner. I want you to have a healthy plan for the days and weeks ahead.
Update: How Long Should You Stay on Osteoporosis Medications?
Medical treatments are continually studied and recommendations to medical professionals are regularly revised. In this post I will update you on the latest recommendations related to the drugs used to treat osteoporosis and osteopenia (pre-osteoporosis). Click here if you would like to review an my post about the risk factors, detection and prevention of these conditions.
If you take Fosamax, Actonel, Boniva or Reclast (or if your health professional has recommended you take one of them) read this post to learn how get the most benefit from them.
Whether You are Democrat or Republican You Should Be a Maverick about Your Health
The media branded the current Republican presidential candidate a “maverick” and that has made the word popular and common but politics has obscured its meaning. Being a maverick means more than not always voting with one’s own political party.
Being a maverick means you make up your own mind about things, you determine a plan of action and you then have the guts to follow through on your plan. Maverick Health was founded on these principles. Here, on the eve of the election, are some thoughts on why – whether you are a Democrat or a Republican – you should absolutely be a maverick about your health.
Wishing You a Healthy Flu Season and a Pneumonia Free New Year
It’s that time of year again – the leaves are turning, the weather is cooling off, the holidays are fast approaching - and that means flu season is, too. Yearly flu vaccination starts in September and continues throughout the flu season.
Here’s a tip - late October and early November are the best times to be vaccinated. Read this little primer on a yearly ritual. If you need vaccinated, now’s the time!
Exercise Trumps “Fat” Genes New Study Reports
A study published in The Archives of Internal Medicine this month found that physical activity is more powerful than “fat” genes in determining whether a person becomes overweight or not. Read on to see how you can shape yourself for a healthier future.
Vitamin D - Let the Sunshine In
I’ve been seeing a lot of headlines lately about vitamin D. I recently read that one of the largest labs in the country reports vitamin D blood testing has risen for the last four years and is already up 90% so far this year. So does vitamin D really prevent disease and death or is it just a lot of hype? I reviewed the literature to learn more about vitamin D - and here is what I learned.
