An anti-inflammatory lifestyle has become something of an obsession for me. It was thrust upon me, really, after a health incident that caused me to take a very hard look at my own lifestyle. Chronic inflammation is at the root of many of our disease processes, as we’re only just beginning to understand. I blogged about […]

I’m always happy to report when there’s good news about chocolate. And here’s the latest: a recent study found an association between chocolate consumption and a reduced risk of stroke. The study was conducted in Sweden and examined the dietary habits of more than 37,000 men aged 45-79. Researchers found that the men who ate […]

A recent study showed that people in their 40s with a wide circle of friends have a greater sense of well-being than those without close friendships. (As a side note, the researchers behind this study are calling these ages “mid-life” which, PS, people: I staunchly refuse to do. Hovering, as I am, close to 40 I will probably […]

A very interesting report was published recently about the power of the mind-body connection (something I’m a big believer in). You’ve probably heard about the placebo effect: the fact that some patients will feel better on a medication, even if there’s no active ingredient–a phenomenon that provides strong evidence for the mind-body connection. But the dark side of the placebo […]

I have long maintained that stress is a major, under-recognized trigger for illness and unwell. I have little doubt that stress contributed to my own health crisis. And now, an important study has come out validating that connection. The study was published this week in the British Medical Journal. It was a large study, looking at […]

Squeezing exercise into a busy life is challenging. I know. Trust me. So, I’m always on the lookout for easy ways to boost activity. Here’s one: clip on a pedometer. A recent study in New Zealand showed that making this one little change–just the simple act of wearing a pedometer–almost doubled walking rates in the 300+ subjects they […]

Is your job stressing you out? And worse–is it damaging your health? A study was published recently to show that women with more job stress have higher rates of heart disease. “Women who had high-strain jobs had a 40% higher likelihood of having a cardiovascular event compared to women who were in the low-strain category,” […]

In my first post on this topic, Passport to Slim: Weight Loss Secrets from Around the World, I talked about how (and why) other countries kick our butts all over the place in terms of staying trim & healthy. But there’s no need to despair–we can (shamelessly) steal those ideas, and use them for our own […]

I write about happiness a lot. That’s because there is a pretty fascinating connection between health & happiness. And the good news? There are many things you can do to improve your own happiness level. It’s well within your control. Recent research is proving this, but truth be told, it’s something we’ve long known. Aristotle knew […]