Entries by Chet Zelasko

What We Can Learn From “NYC Point Gods”

We’re watching a little more basketball these days because it’s Riley’s favorite sport. That’s how I discovered a documentary about the glory years of point guards in the 1980s and ’90s in New York City. It may still be a thing, but back then it was special. One part of the documentary focused on one […]

What Not to Do When You Want to Lose Weight

How did my mother-in-law lose 30 pounds when she was completely sedentary? I’ll tell you, but let me tell you first what not to do. Why begin there? Permanently changing your weight (or any other significant health goal) takes a lifetime commitment. You don’t know what life will bring, so the best way to attack […]

Weight Loss Is Always Possible

After last week’s Memos, you may think that you have to do something radical to address your body weight or some other health situation, but that’s not the case. You can lose weight under the most extreme conditions, even if you’re completely sedentary. Let me tell you about my mother-in-law, Ruth Jones. My mother-in-law struggled […]

The Price of Obesity

Continuing with comments made by Bill Maher, he suggests that the prevailing thought is that we can be healthy at any weight. Companies have embraced that thought with workout gear and other products featuring oversized models. Maher then goes on to talk about the ill health associated with being obese. Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, […]

Feast Mode!

Comedian and political satirist Bill Maher has been one of my favorites since his first show Politically Incorrect aired over 20 years ago. He is also an outspoken critic of our nation’s health: it’s poor and getting worse. On a recent show, he used the term Feast Mode and explained why it’s a problem. Feast […]

Teaching Doctors About Supplements, But Not Really

If you haven’t watched the videos that I talked about Tuesday, please take the time to watch them, preferably before you continue reading—I’d like you to form your own opinion about the videos before you get my perspective. I came away with three opinions about the videos, other than they really focused on dietary supplements […]

Teaching Doctors About Supplements

In late May, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA) released two short videos to teach physicians about dietary supplements, plus a third aimed at consumers. The first video spent time defining and explaining what a dietary supplement is, the delivery systems companies use such as tablets,  gummies, […]

Myths Busted: Eat Your Fruit

If you’ve watched the video, you know Dr. Berry gave three myths of the sugars in fruit. We addressed Myth One and Myth Two in Tuesday’s Memo. Today let’s examine Myth Three, and then consider whether fruit will cause non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Myth Three: Fiber, Vitamins, Minerals, and Phytonutrients Aren’t Important This myth is […]

Fruit and Fatty Liver Disease

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is on the rise in the U.S. and around the world. Estimates are by 2030, NAFLD will be the primary cause of liver transplants in the world. NAFLD is caused by obesity; associated conditions such as type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome are contributing factors. But does fruit intake contribute […]

Cleaning Up and Moving On

I look around my desk, and what used to be a dumping ground for unopened mail, notes written on legal pads, sticky notes, and the backs of envelopes, is almost pristine. It was time to clean up and move on. I’m prepared to do the same thing with my Memo list of subscribers; next month […]