Dr Weil's Daily Health Tips

How Often Do You Check Calorie Counts? (Poll)

Dr. Weil — Fri, 17 May 2013 12:20:14 +0000

A recent Q&A discussed the number calories in food according to nutrition labels: Are Calorie Counts Accurate? Check out the article and tell us how often you check calories in the food you eat!

Dietary Iron and PMS

Dr. Weil — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:26:28 +0000

Women whose diets are rich in iron may have a lower risk of pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) than those who consume less of the essential element. Researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Harvard looked at the mineral intake of 3,000 women participating in the long-running Nurses’ Health Study II. To document the intake of iron, zinc, and potassium, the investigators reviewed data gathered from the food frequency questionnaires filled out by the women over the course of 10 years. They found that women whose diets contained the most non-heme iron (the type you get from plant foods) had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of PMS than those who consumed the least non-heme iron. The researchers also reported that a high intake of zinc was associated with a lower risk of PMS, while high levels of potassium were linked to a higher risk. The investigators suggested that women at risk of PMS make sure they are meeting the RDA for non-heme iron and zinc, but they also warned that high iron intake is associated with adverse health effects. The researchers said that their findings must be replicated by other studies.

The Advantages of Integrative Medicine (Video)

Dr. Weil — Wed, 15 May 2013 12:09:03 +0000

Integrative medicine focuses on optimizing the body's natural healing capacity. It aims to enhance healing in body, mind and spirit by using an intelligent combination of conventional and alternative therapies for which there is strong evidence of safety and effectiveness.

Watch as Dr. Weil discusses the evidence for integrative vs. strictly conventional medicine, and explains why integrative medicine offers the best hope for more effective, less costly health care.

Smile! You’ll Feel Better

Dr. Weil — Tue, 14 May 2013 12:10:00 +0000

Smiling is good for you. It can help tame stress by slowing your heart rate, even when your smile is (literally) forced. A study from the University of Kansas showed that getting people who had been engaged in stressful tasks to smile led to quicker recovery times. The research team asked study participants to hold a pair of chopsticks in their mouths to mechanically create facial expressions that were either “happy” or “neutral.” The stress-busting effect was most pronounced with full smiles, the ones that involve the eyes and cheeks as well as the mouth, but these positive changes also occurred to a lesser degree among participants whose chopstick-holding produced polite smiles. In this study, the participants didn’t actually know that the chopsticks changed their facial expressions, but that didn’t influence the effect their smiles had on their recovery from stress. Study co-author Sarah Pressman, Ph.D., explained that we smile because we feel we’re not being threatened. She suggested that the muscle activity involved in smiling signals the brain that all’s well, which could be the reason heart rate slows and stress levels plummet. The study was published in the November 2012, issue of Psychological Science.

Less Housework, More Weight

Dr. Weil — Mon, 13 May 2013 12:30:08 +0000

Here’s an eye-opening look at how times have changed for women in the past 50 years: they now spend about half the time on housework as they did in 1965 (and have doubled the amount of time they sit in front of the TV - from eight hours per week to more than 16. As a result, women who don’t work outside the home burned about 360 fewer calories per day in 2010 than they did in 1965, while women who work outside the home burn about 132 fewer calories daily.

Beginning a Garden (Video)

Dr. Weil — Sat, 11 May 2013 12:15:45 +0000

Learning from experienced gardeners can help you make a good start on your own backyard plot. Dr. Weil provides some quick tips, including how to identify ripe fruits and vegetables that are ready for harvest.

Would You Drink Buttered Coffee? (Poll)

Dr. Weil — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:31:47 +0000

A recent Q&A discussed drinking buttered coffee: Should I Drink Bulletproof Coffee? Check out the article and tell us if you would ever drink "bulletproof" buttered coffee!

Avocados May Signal a Healthy Diet

Dr. Weil — Thu, 09 May 2013 12:37:16 +0000

If avocados are a regular part of your diet, you may be in good company, nutritionally speaking. A new analysis of data gathered from a national nutrition survey suggests that eating avocados is linked to lower body weight. Those who enjoyed avocados also had a lower body mass index (BMI), smaller waist circumference, a lower intake of added sugars, higher HDL (the “good” cholesterol) and a 50 percent lower risk of metabolic syndrome than those survey participants who did not report eating avocados. The survey showed that of the 17,567 adults who participants in the survey, the 347 who reported eating any amount of avocados during a 24-hour dietary recording period had significantly better overall nutrient intake levels than those who did not report eating avocados: 36 percent more fiber, 23 percent more vitamin E, 13 percent more magnesium, 16 percent more potassium and 48 percent more vitamin K from their diets. Among those who reported eating avocados, average daily consumption was about one half of a medium avocado, with men consuming a bit more than women. The study was supported by the Hass Avocado Board and published in the January 2013 issue of Nutrition Journal.

Gardening with Dr. Weil (Photos)

Dr. Weil — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:19:14 +0000

Growing vegetables is one of the most rewarding hobbies a person can have. Not only do you get great exercise and delicious food, it is a calming endeavor. Take a look at some of the beautiful vegetables grown in Dr. Weil's organic garden outside of Tucson, Arizona. Are you growing your own garden? Get some vegetable gardening tips.

Stress, Anxiety and Sperm Production

Dr. Weil — Tue, 07 May 2013 12:18:12 +0000

A new study from Italy suggests that some male fertility problems may be linked to the amount of stress the men are under or chronic anxiety they may be experiencing. Investigators at Rome’s European Hospital compared semen samples provided by 179 men with the scores the participants achieved on surveys that measure current stress and long-term anxiety.