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Four decades of writing on living long and living well, with 1,000+ posts on functional and longevity medicine.
438 written by Dr. Frank Lipman
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Nov 21, 2022 · Healthy Aging7 Life Saving Reasons to Walk More, and 10 Ways To Do It
Walking. For most of us, it’s easy to do and hey, we do it every day but doing enough of it may be an entirely different question. Chances are, if you’re a traditional, car-driving, office-working person, you’re probably not walking nearly as much as your body would like you to.
Nov 14, 2022 · Healthy AgingWhy I am Such a Big Fan of CoQ10
We’ve all heard the expression, “If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.” Well, guess what, that’s not always true. Here’s one of my favorite counter-examples from the health world: CoQ10 supplementation. CoQ10 is a vitamin-like compound found in every cell in your body, essential for powering it up. Fortunately, our bodies make it. Not so fortunately, our bodies don’t not make quite enough of it to power us through our whole lives as vigorously as we’d wish. And that’s where CoQ10 supplements come in.
Nov 4, 2022 · Healthy Aging10 Essentials of Aging Well
Functional-medicine pioneer Frank Lipman, MD, offers simple strategies to improve how we age.
Oct 31, 2022 · Nutrition7 Thoughts on Why You Really Must Kick the Cocktail Habit
If, like millions of other adults, your alcohol consumption’s crept up during the pandemic and stayed there, it’s time to take a very hard look at the uncomfortable truth: the stuff’s gotta go.While drinking more than usual was an understandable if dysfunctional default during those stressful months of concern and uncertainty, for many, much of that extra-to-excessive drinking has continued unabated even as the pandemic has waned – so I’m here to remind you that the metaphorical party needs to end.
Oct 24, 2022 · Healthy Aging10 Reasons Why You’ve Got Brain Fog and 10 Ways to Clear It
Got brain fog? You’re not alone. Though it’s not a medical term per se, it is an extremely common affliction. Trouble is, there are a number of less-than-stellar habits that contribute to it and can make you feel like you’re ‘losing your edge,’ or, in more extreme cases, your mind. No matter how significant the fog is or isn’t, it’s still unnerving when it’s your brain that’s not functioning as seamlessly as you’ve come to expect. So, the question is, what’s triggering your brain fog? And, what can you do to lift it and think clearly again?
Oct 17, 2022 · SleepTo Sleep Better Tonight, Avoid These 10 Sleep Mistakes
Contrary to what you may think, poor sleep is not a fact of life, but is, to a large extent, a by-product of how you live it. So, to reclaim those good sleep nights you’ve been dreaming of, you’ll likely need to make some adjustments, review the rhythms and habits your days and approach sleep more like a project that needs some attention, and less like something that just happens (or doesn’t). To take back your nights, here are 10 sleep stealers to ditch, so you can rise refreshed.
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.
Oct 3, 2022 · Nutrition5 Thoughts on How Alcohol Bangs Up Your Gut Microbiome
The truth is, any kind of alcohol consumption brings with it the specter of organ damage, as well as issues of physiological and psychological dependency. Not surprisingly, alcohol’s also rotten for your gut microbiome too, that health-sustaining bacterial garden you should be protecting at all costs. So, what happens to your gut when you drink alcohol? Plenty – and here’s why you need to keep your alcohol intake to an absolute minimum.
Sep 26, 2022 · Healthy Aging8 Ways to Get Low Testosterone Back up to Speed
If you’ve ever been bombarded by those TV ads nattering on about “Low T” or websites that offer supplemental testosterone prescriptions like they were candy, you might be tempted to think the whole business built around the world of low testosterone is a scam. But it’s not. The problem of not having enough is very real – even if the solution they’re pushing, for most men, is rarely the right one. What guys don’t hear on the TV ads is that when you take control of your lifestyle, you can bring back your testosterone levels to a more youthful and healthy place.
Sep 19, 2022 · Sleep4 Ways EMF’s Could Be Disrupting Your Sleep – and 15 Tips To Fix It
While big stressors in our lives like work, family, finances, responsibilities, etc., are serious ones, another one that’s often overlooked is 24/7 exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) – and their disruptive impact on your sleep. The good news is you can purge plenty of them from your days, and set yourself up for good sleep at night.
Sep 12, 2022 · Healthy Aging15 Safe, Simple, Low-Tech Bio-Hacks That Work
Over the last few years you may have heard a lot of talk about ‘bio-hacking.’ And while it may sound a bit Brave New World, in practice, bio-hacking is really about applying smart, health-enhancing strategies to help us create the best, healthiest versions of ourselves possible. So, how to bio-hack your way to better health? I have a few ideas for you.
Sep 5, 2022 · Movement4 Ways Exercise ‘Snacks’ and Micro Workouts Get Big Results
These days, it’s all about “micro” work-outs, sometimes known as (I’m not kidding) exercise “snacking,” and it’s a great way to give your body and brain the TLC they need to function well all day, every day. So, if you’re ready to start ‘snacking,’ your way to a healthier you, here’s what you need to know.
Aug 29, 2022 · Healthy AgingThe Negative Health Impact of Social Isolation – and 4 Essential Ways to Reconnect
A lack of social connection, does a number on physical health. Studies show that higher levels of loneliness, as well as the poor quality and quantity of social relationships, are associated with shorter lifespans. Add to that a higher risk for heart disease, chronic inflammation, cancer and cognitive decline, and even an increased susceptibly to viral infection, and the physical downsides associated with loneliness are considerable. So, if over the past few years, you’ve retreated somewhat from family, friends and colleagues and you haven’t quite found your way back, I urge you to make the effort to turn the volume back up on those relationships.
Aug 22, 2022 · Nutrition8 Ways to Upgrade Health Fast with Leafy Greens
If we want to live a long and healthy life, wholesome foods – as in, no processed or sugar-packed crap – are non-negotiable. Problem is, when life/work/kids/travel etc. get in the way, eating well can sometimes take a backseat. But the good news is that it’s easy to radically upgrade your diet almost instantly, with almost no extra effort. The secret is leafy greens and lots of them, preferably organic or fresh from the farmers’ market. Think of them as nature’s vibrant health elixir and I urge you to indulge.
Aug 15, 2022 · Nutrition8 Reasons Why You Need to Focus on Maximizing Omega 3s
When it comes to protecting your health, not all fats are created equal. At the top of the health pinnacle are the omega-3 fatty acids, a key member of the omega fatty acid family which also includes the omega-6s. All of them are polyunsaturated fats. All are considered essential fatty acids, that is, we need them to survive but our bodies don’t produce them so we have to consume them in our diet. Omega-3s have an anti-inflammatory effect in the body and omega-6s, a pro-inflammatory effect. And we need both types – but the proper balance is the difference between a healthy future and a diseased one.
Aug 8, 2022 · Healthy Aging5 Ways Boosting Metabolic Flexibility Helps Keep Blood Sugar And Weight In Check
Eating three carb-heavy meals a day with carb-y snacks in-between is one way to virtually ensure that your body will be metabolically inflexible – which the opposite of what you want your body to do. As a result of those way-too-plentiful carbs, our bodies get less and less good at tapping into fat and burning it for energy, so much so that when we burn through our body’s carb stores – and it doesn’t take very long— it doesn’t readily switch to fat. We become literally weak with hunger. It's as if your backup generator doesn’t kick on when the power goes out.
Aug 1, 2022 · Gut Health7 Ways to Improve Your Skin through Your Gut
You know the old saying, the eyes are the windows to the soul. Maybe that’s true. But what researchers know for sure is that the skin is the window to what’s going on inside the body. What’s going on inside the gut, especially with the trillions of the bacteria that live there, often directly affects the skin. When the gut microbiome is out of synch with the rest of the body – a case of too few microbial strains or an overabundance of unfriendly strains – it often makes itself known in the form of common skin rashes, irritations and/or eruptions.
Jul 25, 2022 · Movement5 Ways Moving Your Body Builds Your Brain
Study after study has shown that people who move more don’t just have healthier hearts and lungs (and maybe better definition in the calf muscles). They usually score better on tests that measure memory and decision-making as well. There’s a reason that people in the health world sometimes call exercise “food for the brain,” and here are five more reasons to move more for brain health.
Jul 18, 2022 · Gut Health6 Smart Strategies to Combat Small Intestinal Fungal Overgrowth
Your belly is misbehaving. A lot. So what’s causing the trouble? There are any number of possible culprits, but one of the biggies that’s often overlooked is SIFO, or small intestinal fungal overgrowth, which, left unattended can make you unwell for quite a long time. So, instead of letting SIFO get the better of you, now’s the time get it on your radar – and learn what to do about it.
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.
Jul 4, 2022 · Nutrition4 Benefits of Bitters – and 4 Ways to Put them to Work
As we age, so do our digestive systems and our natural production of the digestive enzymes necessary for the proper breakdown of food decreases. As a result, healthy digestion suffers, which can trigger inflammation, allergic reactions and a host of gut troubles. But one of the easiest ways to stem the tide is by ‘getting bitter with it’ – as in start working few key bitter treats into your diet to help stimulate digestion and the release of digestive enzymes, all without a whole lot of extra effort.
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.
Jun 20, 2022 · Healthy Aging7 Essential Ways to Protect Your Heart – and Save Your Brain
As the heart goes, so goes the brain. At one level, it’s common sense that the major organ systems in your body depend on each other. If one organ heads south – be it the kidneys, lungs, liver, what have you – the whole person is in trouble. But the connection between heart and brain is especially intimate. They can help each other, and hurt each other in ways that, odds are, will determine how long and how well you live from middle age on. Our advice? Do everything you can to protect them both.
Jun 13, 2022 · Nutrition5 Ways Quercetin Can Help Protect Your Heart, Brain, Immunity – And Longevity
If the last two plus years have taught us anything, it’s that a strong immune system makes all the difference in the world, sometimes, literally, the difference between life and death. Among the many immunity-supporting habits I’ve discussed over the years, getting more quercetin into your system has to be one of the easiest, yet it’s often overlooked. To protect yourself against what ever comes next, your best defense against whatever comes next is a strong offense – and quercetin is a smart and simple way to help keep your immunity tank topped up.