Category Archives: Prevention

Sleep Apnea: What Really Works?

Do you feel chronically tired, or get up in the morning and still feel not rested? Assuming that you’re trying to get your needed 8 hours of sleep, perhaps you have what doctors callobstructive sleep apnea. This is a relatively common issue especially in very overweight people, where a part of your throat gets closed off while sleeping, which can cause you to not breathe for a few seconds, followed by sudden awakening as your body reacts to the lack of oxygen.

Read the rest

Exercise: More and More Evidence of Benefit

Since this is a wellness blog, I feel a constant urge to get readers more enthusiastic about one of life’s pleasures — exercise. Here’s yet another article from the New York Times (Personal Health – Studies Show Further Health Benefits of Exercise) which details the latest medical literature regarding exercise’s many benefits for:

  • Cancer
  • Heart Disease
  • Osteoporosis
  • Dementia
  • Diabetes

It’s an easy read and may give you a little push to start your routine!

Read the rest

Exercise: Weight Gain, or Weight Loss?

After many years of practicing medicine, I must admit that weight loss is one of the hardest goals for anyone to achieve, and that doctors have very little to offer in terms of prevention and really effective treatments. The main advice is always diet and exercise, but many people report that they do a lot of exercise already and still gain (or don’t lose) the excess pounds.… Read the rest

Detoxify Your Body: The Basics

The following article is written by guest author Dr. Melissa Rodriguez, N.D. Her website address is www.drmelissarodriguez.com

For many expats, living in a busy metropolitan city has many advantages. Benefits include exposure to a different language and culture, a plethora of delicious foods to excite the palate, and the chance to live unique, life altering experiences.… Read the rest

Cracking Knuckles: Does It Cause Arthritis?

A few weeks ago an 8-year old patient stumped me with a wonderfully refreshing question: is it bad to crack your knuckles? Well, these common-sense questions aren’t taught in medical school, so I dug around and found the answers. First, from the Naked Scientists Discussion Forum is a description of what actually makes the popping sound:

The reason that joints “crack” is that when you pull on them, or put the joint into a certain position, the pressure drops within the synovial fluid that lubricates the joint.

Read the rest