Dr. Chet’s Health Memos
If it’s in the health news today, I’ll be writing about it as soon as I read the research, both old and new. With my email Health Memos, you’ll know more about making lifestyle choices that will help you get and keep good health. These free, concise updates on health are emailed to subscribers twice a week. Subscribe today and get a free MP3, in English or Spanish, of Dr. Chet’s Top Ten Tips—Small Changes for a Healthier Life.
Boost Your Kid’s Immune System
Kids have been back in school over a week now and exposed to a whole host of viruses and bacteria they didn’t see this summer; I hope yours haven’t been sick already. It’s time to talk about how to keep kids healthy this school year.
The first thing on my list is probiotics, the good bacteria. Many studies have looked at probiotics as a treatment for allergies, dermatitis, and digestive issues in infants and children. That’s the way the healthcare research is done: you’re broken, how can we fix you? Our goal is different—we . . .
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Sleep Restores a Kid’s Immune System
Continuing with the theme of keeping kids healthy, the second thing to do is to make sure children get plenty of sleep. Based on information from the Centers for Disease Control, getting enough sleep is directly related to how well their immune system functions; sleep deprivation lowers immune function.
Getting enough sleep can be a challenge. Kids involved with sports sometimes have to be at school at 6 a.m. for pre-school practice. They have homework that can take a few hours to complete. When you add in after school activities that range from music lessons to martial arts . . .
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The Bottom Line on MSG
When it comes to MSG, most people have their minds made up, and they don’t want anyone to create doubts about what they believe. That’s fine. If you’re one of them, read this anyway because I think you’ll read some things you won’t read anywhere else.
Let’s begin with the Letter to the Editor (1); there’s no research to support his opinion. In reality, it was more of an appeal to find out why this might happen after a meal in a Chinese restaurant. The symptoms were numbness of the muscles, generalized weakness . . .
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The MSG Controversy
How did MSG become so controversial? After reviewing many studies and opinions, I think there are three reasons.
The first reason is a Letter to the Editor of the New England Journal of Medicine by a physician in 1968 (1). In the letter, the physician describes the sensations he felt after eating Chinese food and the reasons he believed the food negatively affected him. He mentions MSG, which was recommended to him by others, as the potential cause. He concludes by talking about how the high amount of sodium could be responsible for his feelings by causing a . . .
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What Is MSG?
Monosodium glutamate or MSG for short has been on my mind for several months. I’ve gone back to the science numerous times because it’s one of the most demonized food additives. It took a long time to organize the information in a way that makes sense, but I did it. This week, I’m going to present you with the science so you can make an informed decision about MSG.
What prompted me to write about this now was a book I’m reading by Michael Pollan titled Cooked
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Breakfast and Weight Loss, Part 2
Today we’re going to review the second study that reported eating breakfast may have no relationship to whether you’re overweight. This approach is radically different from the study I talked about on Tuesday. The approach in this study was to examine many variables related to metabolic rate, activity, and measure of fat and sugar metabolism (1). The goal was to answer the question whether breakfast “jumpstarts” metabolism, therefore assisting people to lose weight.
Researchers divided 33 normal-weight men and women into two groups. One group skipped breakfast entirely and didn’t eat until after noon. The other . . .
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Breakfast and Weight Loss
Two recent studies examined the importance of breakfast and weight loss. The research question is simple: Does eating breakfast help you get to and attain a healthy weight?
Let’s take a look at the first study (1). Researchers in five cities screened 746 people. Of those, 309 overweight people were then randomly assigned to one of three groups; they were then further subdivided into to those who typically ate breakfast and those who were breakfast skippers. All subjects were given a pamphlet called "Let’s Eat for the Health of It" that talked about healthier eating (2). The researchers . . .
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Depression: The Next Step
In today’s message, I’m going to wrap up this week on depression. After Thursday’s message, I thought that the first question would be “What is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)? I’m going to give you the definition according to the National Alliance for Mental Illness:
“Cognitive behavioral therapy is a form of treatment that focuses on examining the relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By exploring patterns of thinking that lead to self-destructive actions and the beliefs that direct these thoughts, people with mental illness can modify their patterns of thinking . . .
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Depression: Never Too Late
Not all depression can be handled the same way the person in Tuesday’s message did. Sometimes depression is a lot more severe. For some, it may require long-term medication; Paula expects to take an antidepressant for the rest of her life. But there are still ways to work with the medication to make it more effective.
Here is the second person’s story:
“I’m 70 and for the first time in 54 years I have just completed a year that has been really depression-free. I’ve suffered from depression since I . . .
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Depression: Your Stories
The comments from readers and listeners on my special message last week on depression were very positive. What I did not anticipate was how some of you opened your hearts and shared your battles with depression. Today and Thursday, I’m going to share two of those stories, with the permission of the individuals and keeping their identity confidential; I’ve already shared Paula’s story and my mother-in-law’s story. I’m hoping they will inspire you to know you’re not alone and to take the next step in finding out whether you may be suffering . . .
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