Monthly Archives: March 2010

Dr. Wayne Dyer To Appear in San Francisco

Dr. Wayne Dyer, a well-known author and speaker on self-development, will be in San Francisco May 8th for an all day lecture on “how and why to make the shift from ambition to meaning in our lives.” His talk coincides with the publication of his latest book, The Shift which is a companion book to the movie of the same name.  Dyer is also the author of  more than 30 other books, including Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits and Change Your Thoughts – Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao.  This is how he describes this lecture: … [Read more]

Exercise MORE to Fight Mid-Life Weight Gain

At least an hour a day of moderate to intense exercise, such as brisk walking, bicycling or swimming, is necessary for women to prevent weight gain as they age.  That’s the conclusion of a new study that was published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed 34,000 middle-aged women for 13 years: they were not dieting and were at a normal weight (their body mass index did not exceed 25) when they began the study.   On average, these women gained about six pounds during the course of the study. But those who reported that they exercised 60 minutes daily were able to maintain their normal weight throughout the study. … [Read more]

Exercise Now for “Exceptional” Health Later

Midlife women who exercise a lot, say three hours a week of jogging or walking briskly for five hours a week, are most likely to experience “exceptional” health, free of chronic illnesses, later in life.  That’s according to a recently published study of more than 13,000 women who participated in the Nurses’ Health Study.  And if you’re wondering what type of exercise will yield the most benefit, another trial of women over the age of 60, conducted at the University of British Columbia, concluded that resistance training with free weights and machines, along with squats and lunges, once or twice a week for a year improved muscle strength and cognitive skills far better than a regimen of toning and balance exercises also done twice a week. … [Read more]

Another Reason to Use Bisphosphonates With Caution

Add broken bones to the list of possible side effects of the popular Osteoporosis drug, Fosamax, which millions of women take to prevent bone fractures and bone loss associated with menopause.  There have already been warnings that bisphosphonate drugs, including Actonel, Reclast and Boniva, can cause severe musculoskeletal pain and a serious bone-related jaw disease called osteonecrosis. There were even concerns in 2008 about related heart problems.

ABC News reported  earlier this week that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been aware of reports of spontaneous fractures, but did not inform the public or doctors who prescribe bisphosphonates of the possible side effect.  An FDA spokesman explained to ABC News that they didn’t think it was necessary at this time.  However, today, the FDA announced  that it will indeed investigate the possibility of a link between long-term use of osteoporosis drugs and thigh bone fractures though, “at this point, the data that FDA has reviewed have not shown a clear connection between bisphosphonate use and a risk of atypical subtrochanteric femur fractures,” the statement said. … [Read more]

A Doctor’s Kitchen Prescription for Lowering Cholesterol

If your physician has told you that your cholesterol level is high, chances are you’ve left her office with a prescription in hand for a statin drug like Lipitor or Crestor to get it under control.   However, if you had consulted Dr. John La Puma,  you might have received some recipes instead.  Dr. La Puma is a board-certified internal medicine specialist who happens to be a professionally trained chef  (or a chef who happens to be a doctor).   It’s his interest  and expertise in the intersection of food and medicine that makes his book, Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine such a valuable resource when you want to know what you should eat when you have a condition like arthritis, allergies or even a common cold.  Here is a list of foods that Dr. La Puma “prescribes” for maintaining a healthy cholesterol level. … [Read more]

RX for Living a Long Life

Recent research on aging suggests that by controlling certain factors in our lives, living to the ripe old age of 100 is not too far fetched.  In fact, Danish experts predict that most babies born in rich countries this century will eventually be centenarians. This chart below suggests 11 factors that could influence your own longevity, including be outgoing, floss more, and my favorite, take more holidays. Of course, all this is debatable, but there is compelling research showing the impact that certain lifestyle and environmental changes can have on your health now and in the future.