Those with chronic health conditions are frequently told by health care providers (and others) that they will see significant improvement in their health if they change their lifestyle. But which health conditions might these changes help? And what exactly does “lifestyle change” mean, what is involved, how easy is it, and how long does it take?
Read MoreMost women know (or remember) the uninvited friend who visits just before their period every month: the moodiness, bloating, insomnia, headaches, breast tenderness and other annoying symptoms. While as many as 75% of women experience disruptive symptoms related to premenstrual syndrome (PMS), only a small proportion, around 5-8%, are considered to have symptoms that are “clinically significant”. A comparable proportion, 3-8%, experience the most severe symptoms of Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which are mostly behavioral and addressed as a psychiatric disorder.
Read MoreSometimes called “andropause”, the question of whether men have a change of life similar to menopause for women has long been debated. While women experience age-related physical changes at a rather specific time (when ovarian function declines leading up to age 50), for men the shift occurs much more gradually. A reduction in testosterone production happens over many years as men age, and can result in diminished muscular strength, energy and libido, erectile dysfunction, depression, and even osteoporosis. The problem is that these symptoms are often not seen in men with low testosterone and may also be caused by other factors such as stress, illness, medications, obesity, psychiatric conditions, diabetes, high blood pressure or low thyroid levels.
Read MorePrediabetes means that your blood sugar levels are not quite high enough for a diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes. More than 1 in 3 Americans— about 88 million people-- have prediabetes, and of those, more than 84% don't know it. Even more alarming is that 1 in 5 adolescents and 1 in 4 young adults are now prediabetic. Almost all cases of Type 2 Diabetes are preceded by prediabetes. Despite these alarming numbers, the good news is that the progression from prediabetes to diabetes is not inevitable: you can take steps to reverse it.
Read MoreMost women experience mood changes after giving birth, sometimes called “postpartum blues”. Understandable, since rapid hormonal shifts take place, and having a baby is a dramatic life change that requires immediate adjustment. For the vast majority of women, these mood changes are short-lived and mild. However, 10-15% suffer a more serious form of depression; and a very small proportion--around 0.2%-- experience psychotic symptoms following childbirth.
Read MoreWhat we eat (e.g. too many processed carbs), when we eat (e.g. too frequently) and why we eat (e.g. from anxiety instead of when hungry) typically receive a lot of consideration by those who are trying to lose weight. But how much we eat? Not so much. Why is this? With the exception of eating in restaurants, the quantity of food we consume in one sitting is not typically public knowledge so it is difficult to know how much more we are eating than what we should. Also, the thought of eating substantially less than what we are accustomed to can invoke the very real fear of being constantly hungry.
Read MoreFor most women, “that time of the month” or the days leading up to it are not their favorite. But menstruation is a sign of our ability as a species to reproduce, which is why the absence of a monthly period (“amenorrhea”) in girls and women from about 16 to 45 years old who are not pregnant is a health problem.
Read MoreThe endocrine system consists of many glands distributed throughout the body, producing more than 50 hormones that are released into the bloodstream or the fluid surrounding cells. Receptors in various organs and tissues respond to these hormones in specific and vital ways that control metabolism, immunity, development and growth, reproduction and behavior.
Since the beginning of the industrial age in the nineteenth century and the dawn of industrial agriculture in the twentieth century, humans have manufactured thousands of chemicals that serve many purposes. The effects of these chemicals on human health were largely ignored until the 1960s. Yet since then, and despite a convincing body of research showing their negative effects on human health, little has been done to regulate or limit the production and distribution of these chemicals.
Read MoreHot flashes—perhaps the most dreaded symptom of menopause, and the most common as well. Menopause is defined as the stopping of the menstrual period for at least 12 consecutive months. The average age for menopause is 51, and in the US 1.3 million women reach this milestone every year. Many women experience only mild discomfort, but others are not so fortunate.
Read MoreWhy is it that many people can lose weight, but once at their goal, immediately start gaining it all back and then some? How is it that even those who have had weight loss surgery can with time gain some or much of the weight back? There are many reasons, including a rapid return to unhealthy eating habits, but one explanation is that without a balanced metabolism, it’s challenging to attain and maintain a healthy weight.
Read MoreEndometrial tissue is typically found in the lining of the uterus and is shed every month during menstruation. But in endometriosis, this tissue grows in other places such as the ovaries, the fallopian tubes, the outer wall of the uterus, the intestines, or other organs in the abdomen. “Endometrial implants”, as they are called, can even occasionally appear in the lungs, brain, kidneys, arms, legs and sinus cavities. Endometriosis is not life-threatening, but it can be the culprit behind two major life-altering symptoms: infertility and—you guessed it-- pain.
Read MoreYou might think chlamydia is a rare sexually transmitted disease (STD) that you don’t need to worry about. Or that it has minor symptoms. Both these assumptions are wrong. Turns out chlamydia is the most commonly reported STD. While both women and men can indeed be asymptomatic (without symptoms), chlamydia can cause serious problems such as infertility, painful urination, fever, genital discharges and pink-eye. Specifically in women, chlamydia can lead to ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, vaginal bleeding, miscarriage, and the risk of passing the infection to an unborn baby who might develop pneumonia. In men, it can lead to swollen and painful testicles as well as arthritis.
Read MoreThere are many well known do-it-yourself ways to lose weight quickly: keto, paleo, low carb, raw food, etc.. Then there are brand name approaches (I won’t name any) that tend to be more expensive since they often involve purchasing meals that are delivered to your mailbox. Still others involve buying pills, meal-replacement powders, or patches. All of these can help people lose weight, and some who follow them even manage to keep the weight off. But they don’t work for everyone.
Read MoreFor the last few decades, there has been a growing expectation that we ought to feel happy all the time, that this should be normal. Mental health experts question this assumption, making a distinction between experiences that are “hedonic” (pleasurable, or superficially happy) and those that are “eudaimonic” (meaningful). They also tell us that negative emotions like anxiety, fear, guilt, anger and even sadness can actually be constructive—if they are channeled well. But what if sadness dips into depression?
Read MoreWe all know that obesity is widespread and worsening. It’s been predicted that by 2030, almost half the US population will be obese. How to lose weight in a healthy way and keep it off is a challenging goal, especially for those who have been battling excess weight for a long time. While attention typically focuses on changing eating and exercise patterns, an often overlooked aspect of an effective weight loss strategy is coaching.
Read MoreThe thyroid is a gland shaped much like this butterfly that is located in the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple (for a man). It is one of many important endocrine glands that manage the body’s hormone system. Hormones produced by the thyroid affect many body functions including lipid metabolism and carbohydrate metabolism, growth, the cardiovascular system and the reproductive system.
Read MoreOsteoporosis is one of a small number of common metabolic diseases that show no symptoms until there’s a crisis. What’s the crisis? Bone fracture. How common is it? Fifty percent of all women and 21% of all men 50 years or older experience one or more osteoporosis-related fractures in their lifetime. While the condition is generally four times more prevalent in women, that doesn’t mean men can afford to ignore it.
Read MoreFor most women it’s a fairly predictable event that is easily incorporated into daily life. And then there are others-- about 30% of women-- who experience periods that are not predictable and cause major disruption, not only to daily life but to special events, vacations, etc..
That said, irregular periods occur normally at certain times during a woman’s lifetime. When the period starts, typically between 10 and 15 years old, it can take several years to become established as a regular pattern. Of course, menstruation also stops during pregnancy and often remains suppressed during breast-feeding as well. Finally, irregular periods also occur leading up to the time of menopause.
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