It’s winter in many parts of North America  and many people may start to be bothered by “winter itch”, that dry , flaky, reddened skin condition that may occur when heated homes become dry.  Even if you live in a warmer climate, you could be like some of my patients who experience oilier, break-out prone skin, especially if you perspire more often. Continue reading “Keep Your Skin Healthy Using Natural Oils” »

Older people who have larger waistlines, high blood pressure and other risk factors associated with a condition doctors call “metabolic syndrome” may be at higher risk of memory problems, a new study suggests.

In the large French study, older adults with metabolic syndrome were 20% more likely to have cognitive decline on a memory test than those without it.

“Our study sheds new light on how metabolic syndrome and the individual factors of the disease may affect cognitive health,” study author Christelle Raffaitin of the French National Institute of Health Research in Bordeaux said in a press statement. “Our results suggest that management of metabolic syndrome may help slow down age-related memory loss, or delay the onset of dementia.” Continue reading “Being Overweight Could Be Making You Forgetful” »

More than 19 million Americans struggle with depression every day, but for the elderly mental illness is often misdiagnosed, overlooked, and deemed “part of the aging process.” But elderly depression and mental illness is a serious and debilitating condition. Subtle and often difficult to immediately diagnose, depression and mental illness trap the victim within an invisible prison: inhibiting the faculties for lucid thought, healthy feelings, social relationships, and daily tasks. Because it frequently occurs in conjunction with other medical conditions, the symptoms and telltale signs of elderly depression frequently go unnoticed by healthcare practitioners. And yet, depression affects more than 6.5 million Americans over the age of 65. Continue reading “When Mental Illness Strikes the Elderly” »

Loma Linda, California – A new research study from Loma Linda University (LLU) demonstrates that naturally occurring antioxidants in pecans may help contribute to heart health and disease prevention; the results were published in the January 2011 issue of The Journal of Nutrition.

Pecans contain different forms of the antioxidant vitamin E-known as tocopherols, plus numerous phenolic substances, many of them with antioxidant abilities. Continue reading “Antioxidants in Pecans May Contribute to Heart Health and Disease Prevention” »

The way you prepare your food can be just as important as what food you eat. Is there any point in eating broccoli, for example, if you cook the life out of its natural carcinogen killers? On the other hand, some foods, such as tomatoes, may offer more benefits when they’re cooked. Continue reading “Food Finesse: A Few Tricks to Help You Get the Most Nutrients Out of Your Food” »

U.S. study ranks walnuts as most healthy nuts

LOS ANGELES, March 27 (Xinhua) — Walnuts have a combination of more healthful antioxidants and higher quality antioxidants than any other nut, U.S. researchers have found. Continue reading “U.S. Study ranks Walnuts as Most Healthy Nuts” »