The average American gets about 10 percent of their calories from added sugars. Added sugars — from high fructose corn syrup to honey — are sugars and syrups that manufacturers add to processed foods. Ten percent may not seem like very much, but added sugars are empty calories that can lead to weight gain. Some Americans get a lot more than 10 percent of their calories from added sugars. Diets comprising 25 percent or more added sugar are linked to dental problems, obesity and insulin resistance.

Coffee. It’s probably the healthiest beverage on earth. Yes, you read correctly.

Why? Studies suggest that coffee helps protect us from Parkinson’s disease, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and even some cancers. But most importantly, two large-scale meta-analyses (statistical procedure for combining data from multiple studies) found that drinking coffee can lower your risk for Alzheimer’s disease.

A recent article in JAMA— "

High fat foods and oils have been vilified as potential causes of obesity, type 2 diabetes and heart disease for decades. It’s only been within the last few years that nutrition experts began pushing the benefits of healthy fats, particularly olive oil, to Americans.

The Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Primary care physicians serve as healthy role models for their patients. But doctors don't always practice what they preach. From sleep issues and high stress to poor diet and weight problems, traditional primary care doctors report in the national MDVIP Physician Health Survey that the demands of their medical practices are negatively impacting their lives–which can affect the care they provide their patients. 

Coffee and donuts go together. The pairing even inspired the name of worldwide donut shop and coffeehouse – Dunkin’ Donuts. Why does coffee go so well with donuts, as well as coffee cake and pie?

In 2003 a new weight loss fad began emerging—high protein diets. For a while, these high-protein, low-carb diets seemed like the Holy Grail of weight loss.

Over time, many people found these diets difficult to sustain and associated with some health issues. The diets fell out of favor as a lifestyle but were still used as a quick weight-loss strategy. Yet, in the wake of high-protein diet heyday, many Americans were left with a sense that a high protein and low carbohydrate diet is healthy.

Eating Too Much Protein

Early menopause has long been associated with symptoms like weight gain, bone thinning and insomnia, but new research also links early-onset menopause and type 2 diabetes.

Late summer conditions create the perfect storm for people who suffer from migraines. High temperatures, high humidity and sun glare are common migraine triggers. So is dehydration. And late summer is the beginning of fall allergy season, with ragweed pollen and mold spores swirling in the heat. And—you guessed it—environmental allergies and sinus problems can also trigger migraines.

The gut microbiome – the trillions of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes that live in our guts – may play a key role in overall health and several diseases. There’s also early evidence that different strains of gut bacteria can help protect against some cancers and heart disease.

We’re learning more about the gut microbiome every day, but we already know some eating choices can help or harm it. Here are some simple ways you can improve the health of your gut.

Introduce more “good” bacteria, naturally.