Long life, Arichus Yomim, has been said as a bracha (blessing) from one Jew to another for thousands of years.  We also say L’chaim!, to Life!, as a blessing to each other as we take a drink.  Two blessings we give, but very different in their ramifications.  According the the Harvard School of Public Health, beginning [...]

(Last week, we explored our poor eating habits and the some of the options available to us for improving our diets and our overall health. That discussion continues.) Last, but certainly far from least on the list of foods to avoid is trans fats.  I don’t know if anything man-made, as opposed to grown or raised, [...]

Food… Everyone’s favorite topic.  Without it, we cannot sustain basic life functions.  It is our primary source of nutrition, vitamins and minerals.  It gives us energy to perform our daily tasks and to go from place to place.  It certainly tastes good, so we make a bracha on it.   Yet for many people, food is [...]

For many years, people have become obsessed with weight loss in relation to good health and for good reason. There is an obesity epidemic in the United States today and it is prevalent in other countries as well, and that certainly makes us focus on weight loss. Many studies have shown beyond a doubt that there [...]

Radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization. The agency now lists mobile phone use in the same “carcinogenic hazard” category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform. Before its announcement Tuesday, WHO had assured consumers that no adverse health effects had been established. A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, [...]

As we age, getting out there for that basketball game, jog or tennis game can begin to take its toll on our joints.  Minimally, our joints may feel a little bit achy, but if you have real pain, swelling and/or limited movement lasting for more than two weeks, you may very well have arthritis. There are [...]

Electrical impulses sent to a paralyzed man’s spinal cord allow him to walk again, researchers say. Rob Summers, 25, can voluntarily move his feet and hips and walk on a treadmill with support, in what could be a major breakthrough for the treatment of paralysis. The research team, led by Dr. Susan Harkema of the University [...]

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that the controversial diabetes drug Avandia will no longer be sold at retail pharmacies beginning this November, due to the cardiovascular risks it poses to patients.   According to the new rules, which will go into effect on Nov. 18, the medication will only be available to patients who’ve [...]

In last week’s column, we defined metabolism, discussed the benefits of raising one’s resting metabolic rate and highlighted the ways in which having a higher muscle mass boosts metabolism. Below are some tips which can help us achieve that goal, and increase our overall health and well-being. Tips for Raising Your Metabolism 1. Build lean body mass. [...]

I’m sure that you’ve probably been to a wedding or Bar Mitzvah and stood at the reception with your mouth wide open in amazement and watched as someone who is as skinny as a beanpole downs three pieces of cake.  You say to yourself, “If I did that, my clothes wouldn’t fit anymore.”  What’s the [...]