Honest Lives

03/15/2021

How do I reduce high cholesterol?

The first line of attack for lowering cholesterol levels is making lifestyle changes. Eat a heart-healthy diet and especially reduce saturated and trans-fat intake to help improve cholesterol. Being active is essential as well—aim for at least 150 minutes weekly of moderate-intensity exercise. Those who smoke should consider quitting. If these lifestyle changes aren’t enough, your doctor may recommend a medication.

03/13/2021

03/12/2021

Low energy can have many causes, some of them can be serious, so it is important to be evaluated by a doctor before taking herbs or supplements to boost energy.

Some of the causes of low energy are low thyroid function, anemia, adrenal dysfunction, blood sugar dysregulation, infections, sleep apnea, insomnia or stress.

Many of the factors that cause low energy do so because they interfere with the ability of our cells to produce energy at a cellular level.

03/11/2021

How do you improve your intestinal health?

Trillions of bacteria and other microorganisms live inside our intestines. This community, called the microbiome, contains hundreds of different bacterial species. The number, diversity and types of bacteria in our microbiome impact our intestinal health. Eating a high-fiber, plant-based diet with a large variety of fruits and vegetables is one of the best ways to encourage microbial diversity and increase the types of bacteria linked to intestinal health. Since friendly bacteria often eat fiber, taking a microbiome-friendly fiber supplement, known as a prebiotic, is advisable. In addition, supplementing with key beneficial bacteria by taking supplements known as probiotics can also provide benefit.

03/10/2021

What does a heart-healthy diet consist of?

A heart-healthy diet is one that emphasizes unprocessed plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains. A heart-healthy diet also includes plenty of healthy fats from sources like olive oil and fish while limiting red and processed meats to small quantities. In general, a Mediterranean diet is heart-healthy. There’s often confusion about whether alcohol is heart-healthy. The evidence on this topic is very confounded, but in general do not start drinking because you think it might be good for your heart. If you do drink, keep it to no more than one drink daily for women or two drinks daily for men. Some recent evidence suggests that no level of alcohol consumption is healthy.

03/09/2021

How can you improve brain functionality?

To retain youthful plasticity, the brain requires stimulation. “Exercising” your brain is one of the best ways to ensure it continues communicating between nerve cells efficiently—learn something new, read, try word or number puzzles, anything to keep your brain occupied and working.

Actual physical exercise can help boost brain function as well.

A good, balanced diet rich in omega-3s is essential and limit excessive alcohol intake. Maintaining strong social networks can greatly improve brain function as well.