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News and ideas worth your attention.
Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
445 written by Dr. Frank Lipman
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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.
Jun 12, 2023 · Nutrition3 Reasons to Love Organics – And 17 Ways To Buy More Of Them For Less
The increased demand for and supply of organic food has narrowed the cost differential, putting more organic options within reach for more people. Still, I know price can be a concern. That’s why I want to explain why I’m so passionate about organics and offer a few ways to help you enjoy more of them without emptying the piggy bank. In the end, investing in the cleanest, least altered, healthiest food possible is a lot less costly than a lifetime of prescriptions and doctor visits, so I feel strongly that organics are an essential investment in long-term health everyone should make. Here’s how to do it with an eye toward the bottom line.
Jun 5, 2023 · Nutrition9 Instant Health Upgrades That Happen When You Quit Booze
Everyday we’re bombarded with TV images advertising all the good things that drinking alcohol brings – fun! Spontaneity! Romance! Too bad they rarely show us the other side, the busted lives and wrecked livers that come with blatantly abusive drinking. But for a much larger group of us, it’s a more subtle erosion of the quality of life – trouble sleeping, feeling a bit dragged out and mentally maybe a step slower – that is so routine we may not even think about what’s behind it. All too often, a so-called moderate alcohol habit that may even stay within government recommendations –no more than two daily drinks for men, one for women – nevertheless chips away at our physical and mental health. It’s time we call alcohol what it is: a toxin, and as we get older, the body gets less shy about confirming its toxic status.
May 29, 2023 · NutritionMy 9 Rules of Good Food and How to Get Yours
Big Food has so dazzled us with the quantity of what they produce, it’s helped made it easy to overlook or consciously ignore quality. The result? The food we’re putting into our systems, however reasonable in cost and tasty they may be, is making us sick and ultimately contributing to shortened life and health spans -- and making a hash of our health on a global scale. I have a few thoughts on how you can beat the odds by shopping and eating smarter.
May 22, 2023 · NutritionLet’s Get Nuts: 7 Nuts That Taste Great and Boost Health
It’s hard not to love nuts. They’re portable, convenient, delicious and deliver a solid dose of nutritional goodies that help your body thrive. Eating more nuts is one simple, virtually effortless healthy habit that I encourage everyone (everyone who isn’t allergic, that is) to indulge in. Nutritionally speaking, the average nut punches above its weight (and small size), yet it’s one of nature’s most often overlooked superfoods! Whether you’re trying to snack smarter or add more flavor and texture to your morning oats and lunchtime salads, nuts are always a great idea.
May 15, 2023 · Nutrition7 Ways to Balance Your Brain, Belly and Mood with Food
In a post-pandemic world, depression and anxiety are all too common afflictions, but before you reach for the pills, consider the plate, that is, the food you eat every day. It can have a major, and all too often, underappreciated, effect on your mood. Why? A lot of it has to do with the role of the bacteria in your gut, the microbiome, which play crucial role in maintaining your emotional well-being. Feed the good bugs in your belly what they want, they, in turn, will take care of you.
May 8, 2023 · Healthy Aging7 Ways Positive Relationships Support a Healthy Brain, Heart and Life!
While we have finally emerged from the social darkness that came with the pandemic, a lot of us are still working on finding our footing again. It’s not unusual for patients to tell me they don’t go out as much anymore, or don’t see friends and relatives as much as they used to before COVID changed the ground rules. While these slightly untethered feelings are fairly normal, and may be with us for a while, it’s extremely important that we work on rekindling relationships and retraining ourselves to cultivate new ones. Why? Because social interaction is one of the keys to health and longevity.
May 1, 2023 · Nutrition7 Trendy ‘Health Foods’ that Aren’t as Healthy as You Think
The idea of wholesome foods being great for body and mind is almost a no-brainer, what’s not always so clear is what, exactly, constitutes a truly healthy option versus one that seems good for you but, in reality, isn’t.
Apr 24, 2023 · Sleep5 Thoughts on What Happens to Your Brain When Don’t Sleep Enough
There are any number of ways to keep your brain healthy, having to do with healthy diet, movement and stress reduction. But one of the big brain savers is all about what you do at night, and by that we mean sleep. It is truly amazing, refreshing, restorative stuff and if you’re not getting enough or just not doing it very well, the consequences can be more serious than you might think. Sure, an under-slept brain won’t be able to perform particularly well on the team Zoom call or, for that matter, doing any kind of activity that rises above the routine, but that’s just the beginning of the problems.
Apr 17, 2023 · Healthy AgingWhether you have Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, or Pre-Diabetes, You Can Stop Diabetes Before it Gets its Hooks in You
The food we eat to keep our metabolism running and us alive can, if we’re not careful, poison us. If we’re consuming too many carbs and not burning them off, glucose (sugar) builds up in the bloodstream which in turn drives up the hormone insulin required to get it out of the blood and into our cells for fuel. Unchecked, that sends us down the path of “insulin resistance” -- the pancreas can’t make enough insulin to do the job because the cells on the receiving end are becoming progressively less sensitive to it. Worst-case scenario: type 2 diabetes – but you don’t have to go there.
Apr 10, 2023 · Gut HealthStep Away from Sweeteners To Keep Your Gut Happy and Healthy
As people have become conscious of the dangers of sugar, many are making an effort to purge it from their lives – and that’s a big step in the right direction. If you’re in the process of kicking sugar, keep up the good work, and give yourself a pat on the back. But I’ve got some news for you that you may not want to hear, even though you need to. If you’re relying on non-sugar, ‘non-nutritive’ artificial sweeteners (NNS) to ease the transition, you’ve got to kick them too. The problem is, sweeteners of any stripe are as crappy for your body as sugar, but in different ways.
Apr 3, 2023 · MovementHere’s Why You Must Add Strength Training to Your Fitness Mix
Having a solid cardio routine is great for your cardiovascular system but, what many people overlook, even among those who are really into exercise, is the importance of strength training. It is absolutely vital for maintaining health and well-being, particularly as we push into middle-age and beyond. One thing that can get in the way for many people is the desire to avoid spending time in the gym pumping iron and flexing in the mirrors with a bunch of sweaty strangers, and I can’t blame them for wanting to steer clear. But the good news is there are many other ways to challenge your muscles, and maintain your physical strength by finding a routine that suits you best.
Mar 27, 2023 · SleepSleep Tech that Actually Helps Upgrade Your Nightly Zzzzzzzs
The core good-sleep habits that I’ve advocated for long before our lives were upended, are now even more important ---but the good news is you’ve now got a new sleep ally in your corner – in the form of an array of sleep tracking devices that have the potential to change the rules of the sleep game in your favor. Where to start? Here’s my in-a-nutshell guide to the ‘sleep tech’ that’s ‘disrupting’ sleep in a good way – and why you should take advantage:
Mar 20, 2023 · Gut Health9 Ways Your Microbiome Impacts Your Metabolism
Your gut bugs have more to do with your metabolism than you may realize –research shines a lot more light on how intertwined they may be.
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.
Feb 27, 2023 · NutritionThe Perils of Moderate Drinking – Especially for Women
So, what if your drinking doesn’t quite fall into what most would consider a problem, but more of a relaxing, end-of-day ritual? Here too, I urge you – and particularly women – to take a hard, clear-eyed look at how alcohol bashes the health of your body – even if you are doing everything else ‘right’ – and start taking steps to end this very unhealthy relationship. To get started, here’s some food for thought.
Feb 20, 2023 · NutritionDon’t Let Sugar Hurt You: Here’s How A Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor Can Help
Wearable health technology has come of age, giving us a window into the working of our bodies. It represents an important step in taking control of your health – and away from Big Pharma and putting it, whenever possible, where it belongs – in your hands. One such personalized device: continuous glucose monitors or CGMs. Though they’ve been available for diabetics for about twenty years, now, ever-more refined models are attracting the interest of healthy, health-savvy customers who are using them to help ensure they never cross the line into pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes – a wise idea if ever there was one.
Feb 13, 2023 · NutritionNot-so-Healthy “Health Foods”
Here’s my round up of unhealthy foods most commonly mistaken for the ones that actually can do your body good.
Feb 6, 2023 · Healthy Aging7 Thoughts on Why Everyone Should Explore Wearable Health Tracking Devices
OK, so let’s say you’ve resolved to improve your health this year but got disheartened when the mirror and the numbers on the scale didn’t appear to reflect the effort you’ve been putting in. How to stay motivated regardless? Wearable health tracking devices provide a great boost. Not only do they show you the stuff below the surface, that you literally cannot see, but they provide both doctor and patient with a clearer picture of what’s going on with your physiology before the real ills can get a toehold – that is, if you start monitoring early enough. Wearable health trackers can be literally life-changing, not to mention potentially life-saving – and it’s why I’m encouraging my patients to start using them – and you should too!
Jan 30, 2023 · Healthy Aging5 Foods To Get Rid Of For Better Brain Health
The classic bad-for-your-brain foods are the kinds I’ve talked a lot about a lot over the years – they’re the ones that inflame the body, and drive up risk for numerous chronic health conditions like obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes, etc. But what we often forget is that this stuff is bad for your head too – pro-inflammatory foods are simply awful for brain health in the near term – think brain fog, anxiety, depression – and long-term, increased risk of developing – Alzheimer’s, dementia, neurological disease., etc. Simply put: you need to kick them now to save your brain.
Jan 23, 2023 · Healthy AgingIs Melatonin The New Anti-Aging Hormone?
Melatonin is becoming a hot corner of the anti-aging research world. A lot of folks are taking a second or third look at melatonin, including me.
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.