We’ve been raised with the idea that, when we reach a certain age, we should retire. Just slow down and live the good life. I think this is a problem. We’re already less active than we should be, simply due to the fact that while we know we need to be active, advances in  everything […]

“Should I have my DNA tested to see what diseases I’m at risk for?” This is a question I hear more and more often these days. And I understand the appeal. It’s human nature to want to know as much about ourselves as possible. DNA testing is a great way to get some of those […]

You probably know your cholesterol and triglyceride levels by heart. It’s just as likely you can recite your blood sugar and blood pressure numbers when asked.      But do you have any idea what your uric acid level is? Probably not. In fact, there’s a good chance you don’t even know what uric acid is. That’s […]

Every time I get into my car, I always reach for my little glove compartment right away. I stash my regular glasses and slip on my sunglasses. Then, I’m ready to roll. Even if it’s a cloudy day, these sunglasses stay on until the sun disappears below the horizon. Just like applying sunscreen, wearing your […]

In these days of health consciousness, food and beverage manufacturers will go to great lengths to convince you that their products will make your life healthier. You see it every time you go to the store. Marketers place starbursts on their products claiming they are sugar free, low fat, reduced sodium, cholesterol free, gluten free […]

A few years ago, my 35-year-old neighbor collapsed in his driveway taking the trash out. He was immediately rushed to the hospital where the medical staff performed a full work-up on him. One diagnostic test after another was carried out. Finally they gave him the good news… There was nothing wrong with him. He could […]

There’s no doubt about it. As we humans grow older, we tend to lose muscle strength. The medical term for it is sarcopenia. It’s sort of like osteoporosis of the muscles. Whereas osteoporosis is a condition where the skeleton loses bone mass and quality, sarcopenia is a disorder that results in the loss of muscle […]

My father, brothers, and uncles all suffered from heart attacks. They also all had one strange physical sign – creased earlobes! Believe it or not, this is a warning sign that your arteries may be at increased risk for clogging – and there are well over 50 studies to prove it. (Look for a crease […]

Did you know that when 3,000-year-old honey was discovered in King Tut’s tomb in 1922, the honey was still good? Honey is one of those rare foods that never spoil. This has to do with a combination of an acidic PH and low water content that creates an environment that kills off pretty much any […]

Every now and then I run across a patient who won’t eat fish. It’s not because they don’t like it. It’s because they’ve read one too many scary stories about mercury poisoning. I get it. And I agree that all heavy metals, not just mercury, are a problem in today’s society. However, this may be […]

Irritable bowel syndrome isn’t considered a disease. Yet it is the gastrointestinal complaint most frequently diagnosed by medical professionals. But most physicians don’t know what to do about it. There isn’t a pill you can take to cure it. In the meantime, the gas, bloating, pain and bowel issues associated with IBS can be excruciating, […]

Overeating is built into our genes. It comes from the days when our ancestors experienced long periods of famine. Once food became available again, they didn’t just take five bites of it and say “Oh, I’m full. I’ll save the rest for leftovers tomorrow.” No way! They kept on eating… as much as they could […]

A few years after I entered medical school my life was turned upside down. I went from being a nine-to-five clinical pharmacist to becoming an acutely sleep deprived medical student in a heartbeat. It wasn’t easy. I clearly remember hitting my third year of med school. That’s when those long, punishing hours of clinical rotations […]

If you get a urinary tract infection (UTI), the first piece of advice you’ll get from just about everybody you know is to drink cranberry juice. But does cranberry juice really help with UTIs? Or is it just an old wives’ tale? Before I answer that question, it’s important to understand UTIs. In a nutshell, […]

Of all the diets out there, the Mediterranean style of eating is the one I think is the most beneficial to your health. This way of eating is loaded with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables of all colors of the rainbow. Plus, the nuts, olive oil and fish consumed in this type of diet are all […]

Many people think of asthma as something that develops at a young age. But it can actually emerge at any age. People can even develop asthma symptoms for the first time when they are in their 60s, 70s and 80s. Interestingly, new research published in the open access journal BMJ Open Respiratory Research shows people […]

In the world of health supplements, minerals are boring. They aren’t new and exciting anti-aging discoveries that everyone wants to get their hands on. Instead, they’ve been forgotten. Unless it’s calcium for bones, nobody really thinks about them anymore. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t vital to your good health.

With the arrival of summer next month, grilling season will be ramping up in many parts of the country. (Down here in South Florida, it never ends!) I’ve enjoyed grilled steaks, ribs and chicken. They are even better when eaten outdoors surrounded by friends, family and neighbors. But they come with a problem.

I drink kombucha every night. It’s a fizzy, tangy, and sometimes sweet drink. And it’s delicious. But one of my favorite things about kombucha is that it’s filled with gut-friendly pre and probiotics that keep my gut microbiome ticking along at full speed, as well as digestive enzymes to support my own digestion. It’s one […]

The two most common mental health disorders in the U.S. are depression and anxiety. Millions of people experience the persistent feelings of sadness, apprehension and dread that come with these mental health issues. While genetics may influence mental health, it’s lifestyle choices that matter the most – your diet, physical activity levels, sleep habits and […]

There is a misconception about hot and spicy foods. Some people think they’re dangerous – that they’ll actually burn the linings of the esophagus and stomach. For years it was believed foods like hot peppers and curry were the culprits behind ulcers. A lot of folks still hold to this line of thinking. I run […]

Mushrooms are a staple in my kitchen. I toss them in my omelets and frittatas, put them in soups, stews and stir fries, add them to salads and veggie wraps, and use them as a topping on meats and fish. As it turns out, I’m the “odd man out.” The average American only eats about […]

Fresh organic blueberries are, by far, one of my favorite snacks. And it’s interesting because, as small as these berries are, you wouldn’t think they would pack much of a punch. But I’m getting a plethora of health benefits every time I pop one in my mouth. Blueberries are jam-packed with a potent class of […]

My first trip to Italy was a real eye opener. And I want to tell you all about it. But first, I have a question for you. What is your favorite Italian food? Is it pasta smothered in tomato sauce, meatballs, sausage and cheese? How about chicken parmesan? Do you love it?

I’ve always been vocal about the many ways the makers of artificial sweeteners have tried to pull the wool over our eyes. They are all bad for you, but some of the worst are Truvia and Splenda Naturals Stevia Sweetener. It started when Truvia was launched about 15 years ago. The company latched onto a […]

There’s an interesting thing that happens when you mix certain plant-based foods together. In many cases, the nutritional power behind one or more of the foods gets super-charged. For example, when you mix vitamin-C rich foods with those that contain plant-based (non-heme) iron, the vitamin C breaks the iron down so your body can absorb […]

In 2019, American adults spent over 1.5 billion dollars on over-the-counter laxatives! Clearly, we are a nation of people with pooping problems. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a high demand for laxatives and stool softeners in our society. But constipation doesn’t happen for no reason. There is always an underlying cause, whether it is diet, […]

How often do you think about your urine? Most certainly when you HAVE TO PEE RIGHT NOW… and there are ten people ahead of you in the bathroom line. When that happens, pee is the ONLY thing you can think about. Urine is likely on your mind it if it hurts when you take a […]

Now that you’re lucky enough to be getting older, you might discover that when you go for a walk or take a ride on your bike, your body doesn’t respond the same way it did when you were younger. Maybe your muscles become more easily fatigued. You might lose your breath more quickly. Perhaps your […]

Not all sugars are the same. We have natural sugars, those that are found in fruits and vegetables. Then we have added sugars. These are the ones added to processed foods like juices, soft drinks, pastries, breakfast cereals and other packaged foods. Added sugars make up for most of our daily sugar intake, and they […]

Sitting down to dinner with a good book on my table stand after a long day of work is one of the highlights of my day. And on days when I don’t work, it’s a joy to be able to read anytime that I feel like. Needless to say, I’m an avid reader; especially fiction. […]

My heart always goes out to stroke patients. One minute they’re perfectly fine. The next thing they know they are waking up in the hospital in complete confusion. Then the recovery process starts… rediscovering language skills and re-training your body to cooperate with simple movements. It’s a very scary experience that nobody wants to go […]

All pain starts with inflammation. And low levels of chronic inflammation plague Americans. You can blame it all on the way we eat. You see, a typical Western diet is high in fat. But it’s the wrong kind of dietary fat. Let me explain… On one hand you have your omega-6 fatty acids. On the […]

Up to 80 percent of all strokes can be prevented with basic lifestyle changes. In sheer numbers, this means four out of every five strokes could be averted. Five of the best things you can do to protect against a stroke are to be a non-smoker, eat a healthy diet, participate in regular physical activity, […]

Our sense of smell is something we use constantly. It can be a first line of defense when it comes to alerting you to spoiled foods, dangerous chemicals or a fire. It detects scents that may soothe you, others that might evoke memories. And, of course, your nose picks up the odor of cooking foods […]

Did you know that physicians have been using the tongue to help diagnose patients’ health for thousands of years? It’s basically an inspection of the shape, size, color, texture and coating of the tongue, and it can help reveal the state of your health. It is a unique feature of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which describes […]

When you think about your “body clock,” it’s likely that the only thing you associate it with is your sleep schedule. But what if I told you that your “clock” is running in every cell of your body, every single day minute of the day? It’s true. In fact, three scientists who contributed to this […]

Our bodies were made for movement, yet many of us get far too little physical activity.  That’s unfortunate, because staying active as you age is one of the best things you can do to avoid dementia. It also helps reduce blood pressure, boost lung function, lower blood sugar and shed excess body fat. In fact, […]

You can’t see or feel high blood pressure, but it’s a very real threat to the health of your heart, brain and other organs. That’s why we call it “the silent killer.” When your blood pressure is high, the force of the blood creates microscopic tears and scarring in the inner walls of your blood […]

There is an interesting thing about people living on the New Zealand coast. They have a lower incidence of arthritis than those who live inland. You might think it’s because they breathe fresh, sea air every day. Or perhaps it has something to do with swimming in all of the natural salts and minerals in […]

Some people avoid fatty foods altogether. Other people can’t seem to stop eating them. And both of these scenarios are a problem. First of all, your body needs healthy fats. You can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K if you don’t eat any fatty foods. These nutrients are absolutely essential for brain […]

I love being outdoors in areas that have a lot of trees and plants. I instantly feel better. It clears my mind and sharpens my focus. It energizes me and soothes me all at the same time. Nature has a tendency to do that for most people, and the benefits can be remarkable. Researchers in […]

We’ve been told over and over again that sunlight is our enemy; that if we want to prevent skin cancer, we should avoid it altogether. On the other hand, we know that not getting enough sun exposure actually increases the chance of developing almost all types of cancer; including melanoma, which is the most serious […]

Every year we see more and more evidence that the “Western” style of eating speeds up the aging process and leads to premature death. And sadly, this is how a large portion of the U.S. population eats. Our society seems to be addicted to commercial red meats, lunchmeat and hot dogs, refined grains, sugars and […]

Here in the U.S., we have an abundance of food at our fingertips. Yet many folks can’t seem to get rid of that underlying “gnawing hunger” in their gut. They just feel the need to eat all of the time. One of the biggest problems may be that we’re eating a lot of the wrong […]

The brain is an amazing thing. For our entire lives, it constantly sends electrical signals and messages that form trillions of neural pathways in the brain. But imagine that those pathways are just like the streets and highways that connect cities and states. Streets along older routes become damaged and may or may not be […]

I like nuts. They’re loaded with vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients that fuel your body and protect against disease. Nuts are especially good for your gut microbiome. That’s because they contain prebiotic compounds that support the growth of healthy gut bacteria. And what’s good for your gut is good for your entire body. Nuts […]

There are many things that influence your ability to lose weight, and you know what most of them are. Getting plenty of physical activity. Avoiding fattening processed foods and sugars. Eating your fruits and veggies. These changes take time and effort, but they pay off in the long run. But there’s another factor I’ll bet […]

If you catch a cold this winter, you’ll probably find yourself standing in the cold-and-flu aisle at your local drugstore trying to figure out what to take. Do you need a decongestant, antihistamine, cough suppressant, or something else? The thing is, nothing you take will actually cure a cold or shorten its duration. And, according […]

The use of corticosteroid injections for the treatment of osteoarthritis has been controversial for a long time. And there is a good reason for that. While these injections may help relieve pain for a short while, they can actually worsen your arthritis. They damage bone and cartilage, cause rapid joint destruction, lead to stress fractures […]

Grocery store shelves are loaded with row after row of canned, boxed, bagged and other packaged foods that are so over-processed that I hesitate to even call them food. They fall into the category of “ultra-processed foods.” In addition to salt, sugar and fat, they contain a vast amount of artificial ingredients that would never […]

As we get older our sleep patterns change. It just seems harder to get as much sleep as we used to. And it could be caused by any number of reasons. One reason is that older adults sometimes produce less melatonin than they used to. This is the hormone that promotes sleep. So if you’re […]

Some patients insist that they need an antibiotic for their cold or flu – even though antibiotics are 100% ineffective against viral infections. Still, there are plenty of doctors who will pull out the prescription pad and satisfy their request. This type of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics remains widespread. And it can be seen in […]

If you flew anywhere last summer, you know how crazy things got. There were record-setting flight delays and cancellations. Many people were stuck in travel hell for days on end. Things have settled down quite a bit since then. Still, high travel demand, limited flight availability and winter weather could result in chaotic cancellations and […]

As we age, we often find ourselves less socially active than we were when we were younger. Family and friends who have been bedrocks in our lives have passed away. Our adult children are busy with their own lives. Connections with our remaining friends dwindle. It’s depressing to think about. And it can leave us […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness A New England Journal of Medicine article recently received a lot of press, with headlines suggesting that perhaps colonoscopies aren’t that useful after all. But that’s misleading, because most of the news reports failed to focus on the most significant part of the article. As journalists like to […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness With the arrival of winter weather, fresh fruits and vegetables are going to be shipped from further and further away. In fact, according to the Fruit Growers Supply Company, the average fruit or vegetable you purchase at a local US grocery store travels at least 1,500 miles over […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness I always start my morning with a cup of tea or coffee. Both of these caffeinated beverages are high in antioxidants. They help me start my day with focus and energy. They’re great for my cardiovascular system and my liver. They lower my risk of heart disease, stroke, […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Millions of people take blood thinners to prevent blood clots that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. But combining blood thinners with aspirin can be risky business. Taken on their own, blood thinners can cause excessive bleeding from even the simplest injury, like a paper cut […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Maybe you’re trying to lose weight or need to take better control of your blood sugar. So you’ve decided to do yourself a favor and substitute sugar with artificial sweeteners. I understand the appeal. The marketers for these fake sugars make it sound like they are the cure-all […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness The debate over the link between aluminum and Alzheimer’s disease has been raging for over 50 years. Study after study shows that aluminum is a neurotoxicant. It generates an inflammatory response in the brain. It promotes the accumulation and misfolding of beta amyloid and tau proteins. And it […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness I recently had an older patient who told me she couldn’t sleep at night. Every time she closes her eyes, all she does is worry about her children. They’re not doing well, and it is the only thing she can think about. This is very common among our […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Your knees are important to you. You use them every time you sit, stand, walk, lift or jump. But when they become inflamed and irritated, it can become debilitating and interfere with even the simplest of daily activities. Around one in every two adults will develop symptoms of […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Flu season is here, and if early data out of Australia is any indication, we might be in for a bad one. Over there, winter starts in June and ends in August, so we generally use their data to predict how the flu season will play out in […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness People seem to think that over-the-counter medications (OTCs) are safe. After all, why would they be sitting there for anyone to buy if they weren’t? Well, you have to remember that OTC meds are still drugs. And there is no such thing as a completely safe drug. Take […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Ask someone what their breakfast consists of and you’ll get a wide array of answers. Some people skip it altogether. Others take the easy route. Coffee with a muffin, bagel or toast. Maybe cereal, a pastry, waffle or breakfast bar. Then there are the traditional breakfast eaters who […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness These days just about everyone knows a salty diet is bad for the heart. But did you know that sugar is also linked to heart disease? In fact, there was one 15-year study that found people who ate more added sugar were more than twice as likely to […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness It’s estimated that just over 40% of Alzheimer’s and dementia cases in America are caused by 12 modifiable risk factors: physical inactivity, obesity, high blood pressure, smoking, diabetes, excess alcohol consumption, depression, traumatic brain injury, hearing loss, fewer years of education, social isolation, and air pollution. That’s a […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness I remember when my relatives, with all of my great aunts and great uncles, would get together for a big holiday dinner. Not long after we finished eating, they would all get up and go outside to take a walk. You don’t see much of this anymore. That’s […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness We are not eating enough protein in our later years. That’s a fact. To top it off, as we age, our bodies have a harder time synthesizing protein. So even if you think you’re getting plenty of it in your diet, it won’t have the same affect it […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness People love their potatoes! The average American eats about 135 pounds of potatoes a year. That’s the equivalent of approximately one potato each day. Russet potatoes – sometimes called Idaho potatoes – are the most well-known type of potatoes in the United States. We bake them, mash them, […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Back when I was in medical school decades ago, I was taught to treat the patient, not the symptoms…that if you really listened to them tell their story, it would tell you what their medical problem was. This is a message I took to heart. And as medicine […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness When talking about Alzheimer’s, we often refer to amyloid plaques and tau tangles. The common belief is that these are the underlying cause of the disease – and that if you get rid of them, you’ll be cured. But it turns out these proteins may actually be a […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness It’s amazing how confusing the concept of exercise can be. Ask five different fitness experts what you should be doing, and you’ll get five different answers. “You should workout every day…” “It’s okay if you only workout on the weekends…”

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness On July 27th you learned all about blueberries, one of my favorite foods. Another favorite of mine is avocados. And while avocados have never “officially” been part of the Mediterranean diet, I think they fit perfectly with the Mediterranean style of eating. They are rich and creamy with […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Some of the simplest foods are the ones that are best for you. In the past few weeks I’ve shared a few of my favorites with you. You learned all about the health benefits of blueberries and avocados. Now let’s take a look at the wonderful world of […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness In the July 25th issue of Advanced Natural Wellness you learned how antibiotics are contributing to inflammatory bowel disease in older adults. Today I would like to share more information on a specific class of antibiotics: fluoroquinolones. These drugs come with a long list of disabling side effects. […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness If you had chickenpox as a kid, you still have the virus in your body. It never really goes away after a chickenpox attack. Instead it sets up housekeeping in your nerves, where it can lie dormant for years. But when you get older it can be reactivated […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness It’s not just hot, it’s sweltering! And while it can be extremely uncomfortable, especially if you need to be outdoors or don’t have air conditioning, I have much larger concerns. The kind of scorching weather we’ve been experiencing recently can have a terrible effect on your health. Especially […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness There are a lot of reasons men experience erectile dysfunction. At the top of the list are vascular problems. If you don’t have a healthy blood flow, you’re not going to be able to get and maintain an erection. This connection is so well established that I often […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Baby, it’s hot outside! It looks like another temperature-breaking summer is here. And if it’s anything like last year, it’s time to find ways to stay cool and beat the heat. In addition to staying as cool as possible, one of the most important things you can do […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Like a lot of other people, I usually have a cup of coffee or green tea in the morning to get my day started. Both of these caffeinated beverages are high in antioxidants. They boost my energy levels and brain function. They’re great for my liver and lower […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Decreased walking speed often occurs as we age. And as a physician, I often use gait speed to get a handle on the general health, physical mobility and frailty of some of my older patients. Slow gait speed can also be a sign that mild cognitive impairment or […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness After getting a bad rap for the last 40 years or so, eggs are finally back on the menu! Years and years of scientific research has concluded that there is no link between egg consumption and high cholesterol. Even the US Dietary Guidelines recommend eating eggs as a […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness One of the most neglected parts of the human body is the feet. Most people – especially men, but women can be just as guilty – hide their feet inside a pair of shoes all day when they are out of the house, then tuck them into slippers […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Ancient medicine had so many things right! Long before we had antibiotics, antacids, pain relievers and a drug for every ailment, plants were our number one form of medicine. They were used to treat anything and everything. Only recently are we rediscovering the healing power of herbs, spices […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness The Scandinavian people have been sweating their way to great health for centuries. It’s a hallmark of their culture, especially in Finland. These guys have somewhere around 3.2 million saunas for a population of 5.5 million Finns.  So that’s one sauna available for nearly every two people in […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness When I was growing up, the only time people talked about fiber was when they were constipated. But most of them never actually tried to eat more of it. Instead, they would just take some castor oil, prune juice or ex-lax until the next time they experienced bowel […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Here’s a number that will knock your socks off. About half of all U.S. adults – 116 million of us – have high blood pressure. Good grief! That’s one out of every two people! It’s no wonder blood pressure meds are taken by so many people. These medications […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness When people reach a certain age, they often think it’s too late to make changes IN their lives that will make a noticeable difference. It’s like they think they have a “best before date” stamped on their foreheads. But what if you didn’t have an age… didn’t know […]

By David Blyweiss, M.D., Advanced Natural Wellness Isn’t it odd how you can hear a song from a single moment in your life, and immediately be transported back into the memory of that place and time? We remember clearly who we were with… what we were doing… how we were feeling. We remember clearly who […]