TOP 10 MOST POPULAR BLOGS OF 2023
Now’s a great time to look back at 2023 and think about what you want for the New Year. Figuring out ways to bring in some healthy habits, whether they’re new or old, into your daily life is key to continuing on a path of health optimization.
If you’re not sure where to kick things off, we’ve rounded up our 10 best and healthiest blog posts from 2023 to help you boost your well-being in 2024!
1) My 7 Point To-Do List for Aging Well – and Slowly!
One of the most frequent questions I get from my patients is: “How do I slow down aging?” I get it. Nobody wants to look, and more importantly, feel like they’re getting old. And by “getting old,” they mean losing the spark and sparkle and wrinkle-free skin they may have taken for granted in their twenties and thirties. What I tell them is, if you follow some basic rules of slowing down aging, you’ll help take care of the wrinkles on the outside of you at the same time you’re addressing the wrinkles on the inside – dysfunctions in the way your metabolism, cardiovascular system, immune system and your brain work, in other words the big things that can reduce both the quality and the quantity of your years on the planet.
2) 9 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.
3) 5 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.
4) 7 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. The good news is that with the huge amount of health information now available online, people today are better versed in the nutritional basics than they were, say, a decade ago. However, especially when it comes to things like breakfast items, beverages and snacks, my wellness team and I often find ourselves having to debunk people’s misconceptions about ‘health-washed’ foods. So, which items consistently wind up on our must-debunk list?
5) Here’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.
6) 10 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.
7) 10 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?
8) The 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.
9) 9 Ways to Tame Anxiety Naturally
To put it mildly, we live in an anxiety-triggering era which can do a number on your mental and physical health. With life in an almost constant state of rapid, and occasionally head-spinning change, it can be a challenge for even the mentally healthiest among us to keep anxiety at bay. Doom and gloom flooding the news, social media and our everyday conversations, saturating our psyches 24/7, small wonder people are on edge these days. The good news is that while anxiety may be almost impossible to completely avoid, there are a number of toxin-and-drug-free non-addictive ways to tame the beast. Here are a few of my favorite healthy approaches to help take it down a few notches.
10) Is Melatonin The New Anti-Aging Hormone?
As you’re probably aware, melatonin is a big deal in the supplement market. I’ve written about melatonin in the past year, as a natural sleep aid, so, to be honest, I didn’t expect to be revisiting the subject so soon. But 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. Stay tuned to the melatonin research (I know I will) and we’ll see how this story develops.
