There’s a Fungus Among Us! How Can You Be Proactive?

If you’re a germophobe, you probably go on high germ alert and chronically wash your hands when you have to be in a hospital. Although hospitals are here to make us healthier, they are inevitably high breeding grounds for germs due to the many people (both sick and healthy) coming in and out the doors.

Is Massage Therapy the Missing Link in Pain Management?

As unpleasant as it is, pain is good because it protects us. The human brain has neurons or nerve cells, which “carry messages” that tell us if something is painful or pleasurable. If you couldn’t feel the sensation of being burned, this could be deadly so pain is actually a lifesaver.

Fatty Liver Disease, the Silent Killer that Took George Michael

Music icon and sex symbol George Michael was practically unrecognizable before dying at the age of 53 on Christmas Day. Before his death, he was visibly very overweight, a complete contrast from the many years his fans were used to seeing him wear tight jeans and leather jackets. But what we could not see on the inside is part of what actually killed him. A fatty liver!

For Those of You Who Fear Broken Bones, Don’t Forget the Magnesium

Over the past few years, I’ve learned so much about minerals and how critical they are in order to live your healthiest and happiest life. Copper, chromium, phosphorus and molybdenum are examples of important minerals we need, but I think at times we get intimidated by their names and possible associations. Pennies, for example, used to be mainly made of copper, and today they are made of zinc, another necessary mineral!

For the Love of Loquats: A Fruit You May Have to Grow but Well Worth it

I’m an avid gardener and always interested in adding different fruit trees to my existing collection. I recently discovered and planted kumquats in my garden. Growing a variety of nutritious fruits that I can snack on, throw in a smoothie or make a simple fruit salad with is one of my special ways of being proactive about my diet and health.

Soda May be More Taxing Than You Think

Sometimes it’s so hard to stick to our health and fitness goals, we have to get motivation through financial incentives. For example, there are multiple fitness apps out there, such as PACT, which provide users who eat healthy and go to the gym a chance to reap cash rewards from other users who do not practice these healthy habits.

Does Your Doctor Have a Racial Bias? Study Suggests False Beliefs Could Affect Black Patient Treatment Recommendations

We previously discussed a study published a couple of years ago online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The study found that some medical students’ false beliefs about biological differences between black and white patients may affect how they perceive a patient’s pain.

Mumps are Back. Should Women of Childbearing Age Have Cause For Concern?

It seems the mumps are back! Between January and March of this year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported it received more than 1,900 reports of mumps from individuals across the country. Additionally last week, the Texas Department of Health Services reported an estimated 221 mumps cases in 2017, the highest outbreak in Texas in 22 years!

You Don’t Need Diet Tips, You Need to Stop Eating These Deadly Foods

Recently, a group of researchers evaluated the diets of Americans and how it impacted their health. The results were intriguing. In 2012, nearly half (45.4%) of all deaths from cardiometabolic diseases (CMDs), which includes diabetes, stroke and heart disease were linked to poor diets!

“When It Rains It Pours And When It Shines You Get Melanoma” (Sol Luckman)

With a crazy presidential election and all the activity and drama in the White House, you may not have heard of Proclamation 9581, which on March 31st declared the month of April as National Cancer Control Month.

Why Is Leukemia So Deadly And Is There Anything We Can Do To Prevent It?

Comedian and older brother to actor and comedian Eddie Murphy, Charlie Murphy, died this week at the age of 57 after losing a battle to leukemia. A report says his family was shocked because he seemed to be getting better and even joked his family was too worried about him. He was receiving chemotherapy treatment, but he did not disclose his illness to many people. Before his death, he continued to work. He was a castmate of the hit TV show “Power,” and reportedly other castmates did not know he was battling cancer.

When Minerals Go Low, Diseases Go High!

Research has shown some of your foods may be losing mineral value, possibly increasing the risk of developing certain illnesses including heart disease. In other words, when minerals go low diseases go high.