Last month I mentioned an interesting thing about music… how certain songs can transport you back in time to a specific moment that evokes a cherished memory. Have you ever noticed that the same thing happens with certain scents and odors? It might be a whiff of perfume that suddenly brings an image of your […]

My patients often ask me which type of alcohol is the “healthiest.” And they’re always disappointed in my answer. There is no “healthy” alcohol. “But doc,” they say. “Red wine protects your heart” … “Moderate drinking helps you live longer” …

I love hearing about older people who have defied the myth of old age. One of my favorites is Ernestine Shepherd. When she was in her late 50’s, she looked and acted like we seem to think people approaching their 60’s should. She was overweight, had no interest in exercise, and had never worked out […]

You often hear that vitamins and other supplements are a waste of money… that following a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables provides all the essential vitamins and minerals you need. This is a nice concept in theory, but the fact is, only one out of every 10 adults eat the recommended daily servings […]

Back in 1988 a strange thing happened. A hospital launched a “Healthy Eating Day.” But shortly after enjoying the healthy lunch offered by the hospital, one of the surgical record-keepers fell ill. And before the end of the day, 10 more people who ate in the cafeteria experienced nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. What was happening? […]

When most people think of protein sources, their first thoughts generally run toward poultry, beef and other meat sources. Next on the list are things like eggs, milk and cheese; again from animal sources. Plant-based protein sources, like nuts or beans are never high on the list. For most folks, they aren’t even on the […]

The topics my patients ask me about run the gamut. But the one that always surprises me the most is when patients ask if it’s still okay to have sex. This question mostly comes from men who think they’re “too old” for bedroom activity or have a heart condition. (That doesn’t mean that a fair […]

Do you run out of steam before the day ends, or maybe even before it starts? If there isn’t an underlying health condition involved, there are a lot of different reasons this could happen. You might not be sleeping as well as you should. Maybe you’re not getting enough exercise. Stress can do it to […]

Some people think it’s “normal” to grow weak, lose weight and start moving at a snail’s pace as we grow older. That it’s “normal” to lose your mental faculties and succumb to dementia. If it’s so normal, then why are there so many active, healthy and engaged senior citizens out there? Take Norman Lear, for […]

Here’s a whopper of a statistic: Out of around 14 million US adults who have knee arthritis, it’s estimated that more than half of them will eventually require knee replacement surgery. Now, going through knee replacement surgery isn’t a walk in the park (no pun intended). After surgery, you literally have to learn to walk […]

Have you ever noticed that certain songs can transport you back in time? Back to a specific moment that evokes a cherished memory? Or that you can hear a song on the radio that you haven’t listened to for 10 or 15 years and suddenly remember every word, note and nuance of it? Some music […]

Sleep is one of those things a lot of people don’t get enough of. In our younger years, it just didn’t seem that important. We were too gung-ho to get as much done in a single day as we could. Who cared about sleep? But as we age, the decision to sleep or not isn’t […]

I don’t think people realize that herbal teas aren’t really tea, per say. Green and black teas all come from the same Camellia sinensis plant. The difference between them comes from green tea being steamed after the leaves are harvested. This prevents oxidation and increases levels of health boosting EGCG (Epigallocatechin). Herbal teas, on the […]

Have you ever noticed that all drug commercials are basically same? The words might change. But in the end, all of them portray happy people and happy families. TV ads for GLP-1 agonists are some of the worst. These are those drugs you see advertised on TV to support weight loss and help manage blood […]

People don’t comprehend the absolute unremitting pain of peripheral neuropathy. It begins with tingling in the feet, then moves on to a feeling of “pins and needles” or burning sensations like your feet are on fire. It can even feel as if you’re walking on clouds – like your feet aren’t touching the floor – […]

On December 14, 2023 the CDC announced that Flu and Covid cases had not yet reached their peaks this season. And sure enough, virus activity was on the rise during the last week of December. So we can expect to see this trend continue into January, maybe even February. Your best defense against these types […]

When I was in medical school, my classmates and I were all taught about Addison’s disease. That’s when the adrenal glands literally fail. We also learned about Cushing’s, a disease that occurs when you have too much cortisol and other hormones. But the idea of adrenal fatigue itself was never a topic. And to this […]

To be honest, the safest water on the planet is probably found high in the Himalayan mountains — where glaciers are slowly melting away. This water is crisp, clean, and untainted by any human chemicals. But any natural water source that flows downhill will pick up toxins along the way.

If you suffer from heartburn, acid reflux or other digestive complaints, it is incredibly easy to take an antacid drug in the hopes of gaining some relief. But if you start relying on these medications to consistently ease your symptoms, you could be making one of the biggest mistakes of your life. In recent years, […]

I recently had a patient diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). She had joint pain and swelling in the fingers, wrists, elbows, shoulders, knees, ankles; everywhere! When she came to see me, we did a comprehensive digestive stool analysis. This is a stool test that looks at a lot of things. This includes markers of digestion, […]

Just a few days ago I informed you about the way low estrogen is a major cause of sexual health issues in postmenopausal women. Today, I would like to talk about estrogen from a male perspective. As we men age, two hormonal changes of great consequence happen; testosterone levels decline and estrogen levels go up. […]

When it comes to sexual health, we men are prone to experience problems with erectile dysfunction. Still, it seems to me that aging women have it a lot worse. First, they have to suffer through the hot flashes and night sweats associated with menopause. This goes on for an average of about seven years, but […]

Back in the 1960’s, obesity wasn’t much of a concern. It wasn’t even really an issue. After all, only a small portion of U.S. adults – about 13 out of every hundred – were dealing with extreme weight issues. Today it’s an entirely different story. Around 43 out of every hundred adults are obese. Add […]

You already know that uncontrolled high blood pressure is bad for your heart. It creates microscopic tears in the walls of your arteries. These tears eventually turn into rough scar tissue where sticky fats, plaques and cholesterol tend to accumulate. This, in turn, leads to blockages, narrowing of the arteries and arterial stiffness. Once this […]

Dieters often cringe at the mention of calorie restriction. And there is a reason why. Most of them have already gone through the torture of nearly starving themselves for a few days, weeks or longer. They even got excited when they lost a few pounds. Then, one of two things happened.

When people come into my office with unexplained aches, pains or numbness in one elbow or another, they often describe their condition as “tennis elbow.” And in many cases, they’ve looked this term up on the internet to set their own treatment schedule, only to find that it’s not working. The reason is pretty simple. […]

In the October 16, 2023 issue of Advanced Natural Wellness you learned the warning signs of a heart attack or impending cardiac arrest. But how do you tell these apart from a stroke? Well, there are a lot of misconceptions about strokes. Many people believe they are very similar to a cardiac event. While both […]

Back in 1989 NASA published a paper which found indoor plants can rid the air of certain airborne pollutants.

Pretty much everyone knows that if an artery gets clogged it can trigger a heart attack. What many people may not realize is that heart attack symptoms often differ between men and women. Sure, classic symptoms such as chest pain are common in both sexes. But women are much more likely to have less common […]

So many in the medical community have dismissed the use of supplements as a tool for better health. Their logic is about as simple as it gets: If you eat a healthy diet, you’ll get all of the nutrition you need. Well, a June 2023 study out of Oregon State University says just the opposite. […]

Everybody knows that a high sodium intake, excess weight and lack of physical activity are all bad for their blood pressure, right? It’s because we talk about these key contributors to hypertension all of the time. But what about the ones that we seldom hear about? For example, did you know that when you are […]

In the September 25, 2023 issue of Advanced Natural Wellness, I mentioned how much I love to put on some music and bop around the house while I’m doing chores. I do the same thing when I’m ready for some more purposeful physical activity. For example, I love listening to the Eurythmics “Sweet Dreams” when […]

If you suffer from knee osteoarthritis, there are a lot of common treatments that don’t work well, and an equally long list of alternative treatments that do. So today I’m going to make things extremely easy for you. First, we will take a look at what doesn’t work to ease knee pain. Then, I’ll clearly […]

Type 2 diabetes is a real epidemic these days, and it comes with all sorts of health problems. It puts you at two to four times the chance of heart disease or a stroke. It affects your brain function, damages your nerves and causes kidney problems. The one thing many people don’t realize is that […]

Alzheimer’s disease and dementia are top concerns for my aging patients. Many of them lost one or both of their parents to the disease. Some have lost a grandparent or two to it. If you’ve experienced this type of loss, you might feel like you have a target on your back… that you’re next in […]

I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables to support my heart health. In fact, one of my favorite kinds of green smoothies is filled to the brim with fruits and vegetables. I start with some honey and nut milk followed by a generous bunch of dark-leafy green vegetables like spinach or romaine. Then, I’ll […]

One thing that drives me absolutely crazy is ambient light in my bedroom when I’m trying to sleep. I leave my phone in my office, cover up all of those blue, green and red lights from power strips and other equipment, and use black out shades on my windows. Otherwise, I can’t sleep at all. […]

I once had an 87-year-old patient who gave me his recipe for a drink he called “Blood.” Now, before you get too grossed out, let me explain… Yes, his bright red juice looked a lot like blood. But this name was appropriate for another reason. The superstar of his drink was beetroot juice – an […]

All across the U.S. – from California to Louisiana and South Florida – record high temperatures are being broken. Not only that, but power grids are being stretched to their limits trying to keep millions of air-conditioners running. So the first order of business is to try and stay as cool as possible. If you’re […]

By the time we men hit our 30s, our testosterone levels naturally start declining. But over the past several decades, testosterone levels in the U.S. have been dropping more quickly than they did 30 years ago.  Since the late 1980’s, average levels of testosterone in men dropped by one percent each year. So a 65-year-old […]

People have so many health concerns as they age. They worry about their hearts, memory, eyesight, weight and so much more. But when is the last time you wondered how your kidneys were doing? You really want to keep these 5 inch long bean shaped filters of your blood as happy as they can be. […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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, […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 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 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 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 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 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 […]