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.
Resistant Starch and Your Gut
After last week’s Memos on resistant starches, I received a couple of emails asking me to talk about related topics. I think they’re both important, so here we go. The first was something I mentioned but didn’t focus on. You may remember that I said that resistant starches can act as prebiotic to produce short-chain […]
Thyroid Function and Cruciferous Vegetables
A long-time friend and Memo reader asked this question: “Some Internet health experts and websites say to avoid raw broccoli if you have an underactive thyroid; I did that and my scores improved. Why?” The answer is complicated, but here’s what I found. Raw cruciferous vegetables contain phytonutrients that are important to our health. However, […]
Unusual Question: Resistant Starch and Food Prep
Resistant starch (RS) has qualities that are somewhat unique. As it’s being touted today, RS will help reduce the glycemic response to some carbohydrate-based foods. The issue is that when and how an RS containing food is prepared and consumed seems to be important. Let’s take a look. Food Preparation Methods The most natural forms […]
Unusual Questions: Resistant Starch
Recently an Insider asked what I knew about resistant starch and whether it can help control blood sugar in someone whose blood sugar was higher than normal. Here’s what I found. Resistant starch (RS) is found in many vegetables and some fruits. It resists digestion and absorption, especially in the small intestine. One of the […]
Unusual Questions: The Grit in Pears
Let’s kick off the 2020 Memos a little differently. Every health website is focusing on weight loss and fitness resolutions. Of course they are—it’s that time of year. But let’s be non-conformist and start by answering questions that may seem a little unusual, such as: is there any truth that cooking rice or pasta and […]
Happy New Year!
Another year has begun, filled with our hopes and dreams of what is possible. It’s a time of setting goals, developing a plan, and then working on seeing those dreams become reality. Most of you probably have a revamped healthier and fitter body on your list. The question is: what does that mean to you? […]
Merry Christmas!
From Paula, myself, and our extended family, we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy holiday! And I guarantee our Elf on the Shelf gets into more mischief than yours. What are you prepared to do today?
MRSA at Home for the Holidays
Meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a threat to our health because the potential infections are severe and effective antibiotics to treat it are failing, yet it’s a strain of bacteria that exists just about everywhere, including in our homes. How can we limit exposure, and what can we do to prevent catching MRSA? That’s what […]
How Much Sleep? It May Be in Your Genes
I know a young woman who goes to work at four in the morning; she has a job with flex time and likes getting out by noon so she has time to spend with her young children. Here’s the thing: she generally goes to bed between 11 p.m. and midnight. She needs only four to […]
It’s Official: Prescription Fish Oil
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the prescription fish oil Vascepa for expanded use on Friday, December 13. The approval for the medication is for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease in patients under the following conditions: Triglycerides above 150 mg/dl for everyone with diagnosed CVD and taking a statin medication. Diabetes and two […]
