The Daniel Plan, a holistic health initiative co-developed by a mega-church pastor and some of the pioneers in functional medicine is proving highly effective in motivating people to make meaningful and lasting lifestyle changes.
Hip hop heavy-hitters Method Man and Redman have gone vegetarian, following the lead of their Wu Tang Clan bandmate, GZA, who’s been a raw foodie for years. They’re part of a wave of health-conscious rappers trying to bring a positive, holistic message to young people.
The field of personal fitness coaching is growing rapidly, as more people seek professional guidance for getting into shape. Like any emerging field, the coaching world is also facing issues of credentialing.
Exercise programs that bridge the gap between rehabilitation and conditioning, and focus on restoring range of motion, can provide a good measure of “pre-habilitation” to prevent musculoskeletal pain, injury and long-term disability.
Drug therapies to reduce cardiovascular risk and prevent the onset of diabetes may be effective in the short term, but as people age, the efficacy of drugs like statins and metformin tends to diminish, while the risk of adverse effects increases. The benefit of nutritional and lifestyle interventions, on the other hand, remains robust even as people enter their final decades.
While many Americans suffer from a complete lack of exercise, others are pushing the opposite extreme, and the consequences can be just as dire. They’re participating in triathlons, marathons, and other endurance competitions, often causing themselves serious harm along the way.
A new and interesting angle on the vitamin D story is emerging from research on weight gain in older women. The vitamin, it seems, is an important metabolic signal that indirectly regulates the propensity to store fat.
Magnesium supplementation, particularly at doses over 370 mg per day, can significantly reduce both systolic and diastolic blood pressure in hypertensive and pre-hypertensive people, according to a new metanalysis of 22 trials.
Weight loss wagers, the latest rage among big employers trying to cut health care costs, are proving to be an effective strategy for helping men get into better shape.
Zinc deficiency is a surprisingly common but often overlooked factor contributing to depression. When corrected through supplementation, it can have profound positive effects. In some cases, zinc repletion may obviate the need for drug therapy. Ciel Patenaude finds out how zinc influences mood and behavior from integrative psychiatrist James Greenblatt, MD.
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