Peanuts and Peanut Butter Help You Lose Weight?
Peanut butter had been a staple for me for many years, through college, medical school, residencies, and even pregnancies. Such a great food. Delicious, satisfying, cheap, and requires no refrigeration. I remember the surgeons making fun of my PB and J sandwiches, in a nice way, when didn’t I know “Lean Cuisine” was the…
Read MoreBisphenol A and Obesity in Children
BPA is under the microscope for good reason. In California there is a movement to have it labeled a toxicant. We’ve covered the topic on the blog, advocates seeking labeling, what it takes to try to eat without plastic, the the link between BPA and childhood obesity. Here is another study reinforcing that connection. PLoS…
Read MoreSleep: The Fountain of Youth
This is a nice compendium of tips for better sleep. Acupuncture helps balance the autonomic nervous system so you can “rest and digest.” But there are many other suggestions. She recommends melatonin, as do I, though she feels comfortable with a much higher dose than I do. I recommend 1/2 of a milligram to…
Read MoreWhy Bacteria are Your Friends
I majored in Biochemistry in college and spent a year before Medical School working in the lab of Dr. Daniel Koshland. He was a great scientist and a wonderful man. After a 3 month trip to India, I was telling him and the group about my adventures, and how I had gotten sick at each…
Read MoreHow often to Exercise?
I’ve wondered about the science behind optimal exercise regimens. When I was studying ballet intensively in my youth, we had class every day of the week, except Saturday and Sunday. The teachers said that working out on sore muscles made you stronger. Does it? Doesn’t it? The bottom line of this article is that you…
Read MoreAcupuncture and Isometric Exercises for Knee Osteoarthritis
Knee osteoarthritis has been one true success story for acupuncture research. In this study, they compare acupuncture and isometric exercise for knee osteoarthritis. Unfortunately, they don’t describe the isometric exercises well. At. all. Int J Prev Med. 2013 Apr;4(Suppl 1):S73-7. Comparison of the effects of acupuncture and isometric exercises on symptom of knee osteoarthritis.Saleki M,…
Read MoreAcupuncture Works for High Blood Pressure
Acupunct Electrother Res. 2013;38(1-2):1-15. The effect of acupuncture on high blood pressure of patients using antihypertensive drugs.Cevik C, Iseri SO. Dept. of Clinical Biochemistry, Director of The Acupuncture Clinic & The Coordinator of The Acupuncture Certificate Courses, Gazi University Medical Faculty, Ankara/Turkey. Abstract Blood pressure control is an important component of cardiovascular disease prevention. Despite…
Read MoreCoffee, Good for you
Yay! Having only sporadically been able to kick the coffee habit, extremely happy to hear that it’s good for you. The Swedes, where they drink 5-6 times the amount we drink here in the States, must be even more happy. June 6, 2013, 12:01 am This Is Your Brain on Coffee By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS For…
Read MoreStatins Interfere with Exercise Fitness?
This post on a study showing that statins, for some reason, can undercut the fitness benefits of an exercise regimen. They have no idea why, but it underscores the hazards of taking medications with far reaching effects. As readers of this blog know, I worry about statins for that very reason. What can it…
Read More7 Minute Work Out?
An article about a 7 minute work out, where you work to “failing” in a number of different exercises. It’s kind of hard for me to believe you could do all those exercises in 7 minutes, especially with a 10 second rest in between. There’s very good evidence” that high-intensity interval training provides “many of…
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