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.
Research Update: Exercise in Short Bursts
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) has become very popular due to the possibility of gaining fitness in a short amount of time, but when done correctly workouts still take 20 to 40 minutes. A group of researchers examined the United Kingdom Biobank data to see if a sub-group of subjects who wore accelerometers might benefit from […]
Will Ultra-Processed Food Harm You?
Use of ultra-processed food (UPF) has risen over the past 20 years; that’s clear from a recent study that examined eating trends. Using data from nine cycles of the NHANES (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey) study, there has been a steady rise in the percentage intake of UPF from 53% to 57%. Over the […]
What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?
Several studies have been published recently that demonstrate the hazard of eating too much processed food: digestive issues, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, early mortality, and even premature Alzheimer’s disease. Today I’ll focus on some definitions and look at the research on Saturday. Many of the studies that have examined ultra-processed food have used the […]
Is It Worth It?
At an obesity conference, the report on the clinical trials for a pre-diabetes and diabetes medication left the crowd on their feet and cheering. There are reports of well-known personalities who’ve used the drug with great results. But the ultimate question about a pharmaceutical approach to obesity has to be this: is it worth the […]
Happy New Year!
It’s good to be back talking to all of you again. The New Year is a time of optimism, everything seems possible, and there’s an enthusiasm for achieving health goals. One thing many people want to do is to lose some weight. It seems appropriate to cover a couple of drugs that were recently approved […]
Aging Stressor: Excess Body Weight
The last major stressor that comes with age is excess body weight. The first book that I ever bought in grad school was about obesity. In it, there was a chart of almost 100 health issues that were linked by research to carrying extra body fat and one that was not. In the 40 years […]
Aging Stressor: The Muscular System
Sarcopenia is the number one issue that impacts muscles—that’s the loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength that comes with age. It can begin as early as the 20s in some and accelerates once we pass 60; it’s thought to be primarily due to the genetics of aging. There’s also little question that a sedentary […]
Aging Stressor: The Cardiovascular System
The next three Memos before Christmas will identify the three major stressors of aging as I see them and the general solution to them. The first stressor of aging is the changes to the cardiovascular system (CV). Cells wear out in all systems at all ages, but there are some that stop replacing and repairing […]
Worst Stressor: Split Decision
I intended to talk about the single most negative stressor that we face as we age, but I couldn’t pick just one. When I say stressors, I mean things we have to deal with every day, not a singular event such as an auto accident. Smoking would be the easy choice, but it doesn’t impact […]
The Best Stressor
Stressors aren’t all the same; they can be positive and they can be negative. I’m going to begin with the single most powerful positive stressor: exercise. It’s not just one type, such as aerobic exercise or strength training. It’s all of them, and there are specific negative stressors that specific types of exercise can address. […]
