Entries by Chet Zelasko

Food vs. Supplements

Last week, the health headlines blared that nutrients from foods were better than nutrients from supplements—specifically that excess calcium from supplements was associated with an increased risk of dying from cancer. That will get your attention if you take supplemental calcium, especially if you’re taking calcium because your physician told you to take it because […]

Supplementing Your Diet

Last week, a study was published that concluded that nutrients from food are better than nutrients from supplements. Does that mean you can throw out the supplements and just eat more? Short answer: no. Did you ever notice that one week some vitamin is good for you and the next it’s supposed to be bad […]

Subscriber Update

How are you doing on the push-up challenge? I know some of you have begun with wall push-ups and are continuing to improve. Don’t forget to let me know when you make it. I finally got to 41 myself and continue to try to hit that number. No matter where you began, you can continue […]

Finding Your Health Partners

I finished Thursday’s Memo by saying there may be hope for physicians when dealing with overweight patients. It was another viewpoint written by two clinicians. They say learning about diet and nutrition and how to interact with patients were not priorities in medical school; I’ve confirmed that with physicians I know. The authors put together […]

Respect Yourself

I finished last week by talking about self image: you must accept your body, for better or worse, exactly where it is right now. I used the phrase that you have “to love yourself.” Along with that, you have to respect yourself as well. Maybe that’s even harder to do. Most of us aren’t able […]

Improve Your Body Image

In your mind, do you feel that thin equals healthy? Does how you think you look impact your life? Does it make you think less of yourself? Is there a bodyweight goal that you think will make your life better? You’re not alone. Many women feel that way. So do many men, if the truth […]

Exercise Intuitively

The age of Jane Austen’s England was much different from the current age; going for a two-hour walk seems almost a fantasy in today’s world. Being figuratively chained to a desk or some manner of work that doesn’t provide freedom of movement seems to be the norm. When it’s time to walk, we must accomplish […]

Nothing Else Matters

“Where health is at stake, nothing else should be considered.”             Jane Austen’s Emma Health today is a serious matter. My observation is that we spend a lot of time worrying, maybe even obsessing, about our health; this is not to be confused with disease. If we have a serious medical condition that requires treatment, […]

What Would You Invest in a Healthier Diet?

Would you eat more vegetables and fruit if your health insurance paid for it? How about an overall healthier diet that also included whole grains, nuts and seeds, fish, and healthy oils? Would you eat healthier if it didn’t cost you more? Researchers from Tufts and Harvard examined the potential cost and benefits of subsidizing […]

Too Fat to Get Sick?

Once in a while, a health news story makes you do a double-take and say, “Did I just read what I thought I read?” The legislature in West Virginia passed a bill to delay the implementation of water safety guidelines from the Environmental Protection Agency for two years. They’re allowing delays in the restriction of […]