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Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
134 written by Dr. Frank Lipman in Health & Wellness
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Nov 13, 2023 · Health & Wellness7 Ways to Put Vitamin D to Work for Your Winter Wellness
Ah, winter. Like it or loathe it, there’s no denying, it’s heading our way. For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, sunlight will soon be in short supply. Not great news for our bodies which need sunlight to help us produce our own vitamin D supplies, but an...
Oct 23, 2023 · Health & WellnessDr. Frank’s Fall Fortification Plan: 19 Ways to Stop Winter Ills Before they Start
Though we’re still a few weeks away from winter’s official start, seasonal ills are on the march, so the smart money is on prepping your body for the onslaught. The mission? To make yourself an inhospitable location for viral and bacterial opportunists attempting to take up residence – and to strengthen all your defenses so you can repel colds, flu, RSV and whatever Covid-19 variants may pop up over the next few months. How hard seasonal ills will hit this year is anyone’s guess, but now – not November or December – is the best time to focus on building up your resistance. Here’s where to start…
Oct 2, 2023 · Health & Wellness30 Timely Tips to Send Autumnal Allergies Packing
For millions of people, autumn, perhaps the most gorgeous time of the year, can be a season to brace for rather than embrace. Experienced through a pair of itchy, watery eyes and a sneezy nose, the charms of the season’s colors and warm days and cool nights can be elusive. The good news is, you can tamp down much of the allergy-induced misery if you get on the defensive early in the season with a multi-pronged plan of action. So, instead of bombing your system with brain-fogging, sleep-inducing over-the-counter and prescription drugs, I advise my patients to try a more holistic approach so they can autumn with a clearer head and less wheezing and sneezing.
Aug 14, 2023 · Health & Wellness9 Ways to Tame Anxiety Naturally
To put it mildly, we live in an anxiety-triggering era which can do a number on your mental and physical health. With life in an almost constant state of rapid, and occasionally head-spinning change, it can be a challenge for even the mentally healthiest among us to keep anxiety at bay. Doom and gloom flooding the news, social media and our everyday conversations, saturating our psyches 24/7, small wonder people are on edge these days. The good news is that while anxiety may be almost impossible to completely avoid, there are a number of toxin-and-drug-free non-addictive ways to tame the beast. Here are a few of my favorite healthy approaches to help take it down a few notches.
Aug 7, 2023 · Health & Wellness7 Physical and Mental Benefits of Vitamin Sea – and How to Get Yours
It’s as if your body and brain are telling you somewhat explicitly that they need some ‘TLSea’ – and they are: research shows that folks who live in close proximity to coastal waters report substantially better health, both mentally and physically, than their land-locked counterparts. The good news though is that even just a visit to, or a view of, a ‘blue space,’ be it any body of water, can have a positive impact on mental health, particularly on depression – so indulge in this natural treatment brought to you by Mother Earth.
Jul 24, 2023 · Health & WellnessHow to Kick Forever Chemicals Out of Your Body and Your Life!
Over the last few months, you may have been hearing quite a bit about ‘forever chemicals,’ or PFAS (per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances), which encompass roughly 4700+ man-made chemicals that don’t break down in our bodies or in nature and, no surprise, have the power to wreak havoc on our health. As more of the dangers associated with PFAS have come to light, safe to say the concern about these nasty toxins has radiated far beyond the wellness community to ordinary concerned citizens, which recently has resulted in almost half of the states in the U.S. enacting over 100 laws to ban or restrict the use of PFAS to help curb the chemical assault.
Jul 17, 2023 · Health & Wellness10 Ways to Use Your Brain to Break Bad Habits and Lock in Good Ones
When you come right down to it, the major part of living a healthy life boils down to developing good habits and weaning yourself off the bad ones. When you’ve got a routine that incorporates the essentials and dispenses with, for instance, regular desserts or alcohol or hours of streaming and bingeing as your unconscious default, you’re in business. This doesn’t count as a revelation – good habits are good for you, bad habits are bad. But, it's the next step, the “how,” that isn’t so obvious – what are the best ways to internalize those healthy habits and rid yourself of the compunction to do the unhealthy things?
Jun 26, 2023 · Health & Wellness9 Things to Know About Optimizing Brain Function with Nootropics
Not sure I’ve ever met anyone who’s not interested in having a well-functioning brain and as time marches on, we tend to desire it even more. There are a number of things you can do to keep your brain moving in a positive direction for as long as possible, like the usuals of high quality sleep, whole foods, no sugar and movement, but another you may wish to add to the list would be ‘nootropics.’ Though the name alone might stop you – it does have a bit of a 50’s sci-fi ring to it – the phrase comes from the ancient Greek which, literally translated, means “mind turning.” These are substances that when ingested may enhance mental performance.
Jun 19, 2023 · Health & Wellness9 Ways to Connect With Nature – the Medicine Just Outside Your Door
More than just being good for your emotional life, one fact that often gets overlooked is that connecting with nature creates incredibly positive physical changes in the body as well, making time spent in nature a powerful natural medicine, and one I happily ‘prescribe’ to all of my patients. What’s more, time in nature is one more pillar of wellness – along with good sleep, whole foods, and plenty of movement that can make or break how well you feel right now and for as long as possible in years to come.
Mar 13, 2023 · Health & WellnessThe Main Factors Impacting Your Blood Sugar and How To Manage Them
Advances in medical science have refined our understanding of how diet and lifestyle affect glucose levels (that is, the amount of sugar that circulates in the bloodstream), putting more power in your hands to ensure that sugar isn’t doing a number on your health. It’s never been easier to identify the trouble-makers so you can clean up your sugar act before real metabolic trouble begins – and the time to start is now.
Mar 6, 2023 · Health & WellnessYes, You Really Do Need a Multivitamin
Taking a multivitamin is essential for sustaining your health and improving the quality of cell functioning. Most vitamins serve as catalysts to reactions occurring in our body, like the spark plugs in an automobile. Your body on the other hand is like a factory, with a hundred trillion cells working to keep you healthy. These cells need raw materials, the 13 essential vitamins, to roll down the assembly line. Without these raw materials, your body needs to scavenge from your bones or your liver, or the assembly line shuts down. This causes energy loss, pain, disease, depression and aging. So yes, you really do need a multivitamin.
Jan 16, 2023 · Health & WellnessMake Healthy Habits Stick With ‘Habit Stacking’
As you wade into the waters of this brand new year, you can increase the odds of making positive changes stick by letting go of the old school all-or-nothing mentality that can torpedo good intentions (in a matter of days!). Instead, work on developing new healthy habits over time. What’s the best way to do that? One approach to consider, borrowed from behavioral science, is known as ‘habit stacking’ – it can help make 2023 a banner year for your body and your mind.
Jan 9, 2023 · Health & Wellness21 Immune System Boosters and ‘Triple-demic’ Fighters
This winter, it’s all about immunity and boosting yours needs to become a top priority, the sooner the better. The mission: to fortify your body against opportunistic invaders, make it harder for them to get a toehold into your system, and ideally, be able to repel them quickly if they do. To achieve the strongest immunity possible, I recommend a three-pronged approach that combines health-supporting foods immunity-boosting supplements, and pleasurable, health-boosting habits to pack your winter with wellness.
Dec 26, 2022 · Health & Wellness23 Wellness Wishes to Make this New Year Shine
With external change greeting us at just about every turn, among the positives to come out of it is internal: we’ve learned how to be more flexible; to persevere; to be a bit more patient and a lot more resilient – all skills that will serve us well as we embark on our journey into 2023. To honor the fresh start of this new year, rather than going into full-throttle, resolutions-or-bust mode, I encourage you to take a kinder, gentler approach: think ‘evolution’ not revolution.
Dec 19, 2022 · Health & WellnessTop 10 Most Popular Blogs of 2022
Finding ways to incorporate new (or old) healthful habits into the day-to-day is essential. If you don’t know where to start, we have gathered our 11 top helpful (and health-full) blog posts of 2022 to optimize well-being in 2023!
Dec 5, 2022 · Health & Wellness8 Ways To Enjoy Winter – And Use It To Improve Your Health
While there’s no stopping winter’s arrival, with a bit of forethought, you can fend off much of the moodiness, lethargy, carb-cravings and depressive tendencies that can make the season anything but bright. What’s the secret to beating back the metaphorical darkness? Accept the inevitable, tend to your physical and mental health, and stack the deck with feel-good activities. Call it seasonal self-care or simply your winter battle plan, with a little forethought, you can make this the best winter ever. Here’s how…
Oct 10, 2022 · Health & Wellness9 Thoughts on Healthy Ways to Ease the Menopause Transition
A positive attitude, as well as some lifestyle healthy basics, can make a massive difference in how menopause is experienced – and the degree to which menopause symptoms interfere with everyday life, if they do at all. That’s not just my clinical experience talking either. Studies have shown that the more negative attitudes women bring to menopause, the more symptoms they’re likely to have. So, even if your mom had a rough time of it, it’s by no means a foregone conclusion that you will too. In fact, with the right tools, your transition is likely to be a good bit easier.
Jul 11, 2022 · Health & Wellness12 Tips to Help Combat Estrogen Dominance – and Help Keep Hormones Balanced
Estrogen dominance, though it may not sound like a big deal, the symptoms range from annoying to serious: extra-strength PMS; heavy periods; weight gain; an increased risk for everything from depression and anxiety to uterine fibroids. The reason the laundry list of potential problems is so long is because cells throughout the body, including your brain cells, come equipped with estrogen receptors. That allows this one hormone to be involved in hundreds of different processes. Yes, estrogen plays a crucial role in puberty, but it’s a “sex hormone” whose influence extends way beyond sex and reproduction. So keeping it in check is more important than you may realize.
Jun 27, 2022 · Health & Wellness8 Ways to Fight Jet Lag and Enjoy Your Travels
Between COVID-19 concerns and border closings, staying close to home has been our pandemic norm. This summer, however, it’s quite a different ballgame. Anyone who can go is going somewhere, and millions are heading overseas. For some, it’s about being able to hug their far-flung loved ones again while, for others, it’s a simply to enjoy a much-needed change of scenery. Whatever the reason, travel beyond our borders often brings with it a few headaches, and one of the biggies is jet lag. It can make a hash of your first few days away from home and knock you down for a bunch more after your return.
May 30, 2022 · Health & Wellness8 Ways Sunshine Upgrades Your Health – And 8 Ways To Enjoy It Sensibly
There's just something about the sun – it draws us in, bringing with it a sense of hope, renewed energy and of course, light. It also feels wonderful. While sunlight is indeed, beautiful, life-affirming and life-supporting, get too close – or more likely, stay in it too long – and you’ll get burned, which is where the trouble starts. However, some sun exposure, in measured doses, will actually improve your health so it is important to get some, without over-exposing or over-doing it, even when wearing sunscreen. Remember the operative phrase here is “some exposure,” as in not long enough to make your skin pink. Here is my prescription for how to do it sensibly.
May 16, 2022 · Health & WellnessThe Future of Medicine: Preventative, Predictive, Personalized
Practicing medicine is fascinating and rewarding work – but, unfortunately, the mainstream medical ‘system’ often interferes with the mission of health and healing. Here's my vision of the future of medicine.
Apr 30, 2022 · Health & WellnessEleven Eleven Wellness Center Welcomes Dr. Myles Spar
Dr. Spar is joining the team at Eleven Eleven – assisting patients interested in optimizing their performance.
Apr 25, 2022 · Health & Wellness18 Ways to Purge Plastic From Your Day-to-Day
We are all drowning in plastic! Even if you try to avoid it, the stuff still manages to worm its way into our lives in a range of subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Not only does it pollute the environment, but plastic is horrendous for your body, which is why I urge you to include a plastic purge on your spring cleaning to-do list. The more of it you can remove from your day-to-day, the better it will be for your health and the planet’s as well. Here are my 14 tips to help you purge.
Mar 21, 2022 · Health & Wellness7 Thoughts On Releasing Big Pharma's Vice-like-Grip On Your Health
We live in a pharma-rich country with a health care system that encourages everyone to dig in. I do not. Instead, I encourage all my patients to take a close look at the pill-for-what-ails-you approach that your doc, the pharmaceutical companies and health insurers perpetuate. Are drugs always the answer? And what’s in it for your health? Here’s another question worth asking: Given that so many common ills don’t actually warrant drugs, why is just about everyone on them?