It makes sense that if we have an unhealthy gut, we’ll have gastrointestinal issues. But sometimes we forget that what we eat affects our entire body – not just our gut.
How does the gut have so much influence over our health?
Gut health is garnering a lot of attention, as research continues to show its importance to overall health. Yet, the flood of information online about improving digestive health can make it hard to separate fact from fiction. In this video, MDVIP Chief Medical Officer Dr. Andrea Klemes and award-winning registered dietitian Layne Lieberman dispel five common myths about gut health.
You’re probably aware that processed foods and ultra-processed foods have a bad rap. Regularly eating these foods raise the risk for:
Now that we’re heading into the summer months, you’ll probably spend more time outdoors and a lot more time around mosquitoes. If you’re one of those people mosquitoes love to target, we have some good news.
Many people find living in rural areas desirable. When compared to urban, even suburban living, a rural lifestyle usually includes a bigger home, a greater connection to nature and brighter nighttime skies. Rural residents also benefit from the peace and tranquility they experience in their communities.
If you’re trying to protect your heart, you probably already know the things you should do: Eat a healthy diet, get plenty of exercise, manage your weight, minimize stress and make sure you’re seeing your doctor regularly.
But there are other things that can put you at risk for heart disease that you may not even be aware of. Some of them are really unusual (such as living near noisy roads) while others (like crinkled ear lobes) can help identify people at risk earlier than cholesterol tests or blood pressure screenings.
Of all the things we eat, nothing perhaps does more harm than foods that are awash in sugar, items that come to mind include:
But sugar is everywhere — in low-fat yogurt and barbecue sauces, in granola, protein bars and canned soup, in canned fruit, smoothies and even spaghetti sauce and ketchup.
In the 1800s, nearly 200,000 Chinese immigrants came to the U.S. to work on the railroads. They brought with them Eastern medicine practices that dated back thousands of years including oil made from a Chinese water snake. The oil was used to treat the sore joints of workers after a long, grueling day of laying track and leveling grades.
Living longer and healthier isn’t always about exercise and healthy eating. While these things are important and account for a huge part of our health span - the period of our lives we live without chronic conditions and mobility issues -- there are other factors that play a big role too, including our relationships.
When I was in school growing up in New York, hardly anybody had food allergies. Nobody sat alone at an allergy table, and peanut butter was practically cuisine du jour. A lot has changed.
Today, food allergies affect a growing number of American adults – about 2 percent. They cause 30,000 emergency room visits and 2,000 hospitalizations each year, according to the Food and Drug Administration.