Does Marijuana Affect Weight Gain or Bone Density? 

Does Marijuana Affect Weight Gain or Bone Density? 

Are the apparent adverse effects of heavy cannabis use on the bone just due to users being thinner?  It’s been recognized for decades that cigarette smoking can have “a major effect” on bone health, “increasing the lifetime risk of hip fracture by about half.” It also...
Seasonal Weight Gain in the Fall 

Seasonal Weight Gain in the Fall 

SAD doesn’t just stand for the standard American diet. There’s a condition known as seasonal affective disorder that is characterized by increased appetite and cravings, as well as greater sleepiness and lethargy, that begins in autumn when light exposure starts to...
Phototherapy and Losing Weight 

Phototherapy and Losing Weight 

What did randomized controlled trials of phototherapy—bright morning light—for weight loss find?  If weakening our circadian rhythm can cause weight gain, might strengthening it facilitate weight loss? You may remember the child’s swing analogy I shared previously....
The Truth About Heart Stents

The Truth About Heart Stents

Coronary artery disease, the number one killer of men and women, involves blockages in the blood vessels that supply the heart muscle. As discussed in my video Do Angioplasty Heart Stent Procedures Work?, low blood flow can lead to a type of chest pain called angina...
Irregular Meals, Night Shifts, and Metabolic Harms 

Irregular Meals, Night Shifts, and Metabolic Harms 

What can shift workers do to moderate the adverse effects of circadian rhythm disruption? Shift workers may have higher rates of death from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia, and cardiovascular disease, as well as higher rates of death from cancer. Graveyard...
How Healthy Are Ancient Grains? 

How Healthy Are Ancient Grains? 

Ancient types of wheat, like kamut, are put to the test for inflammation, blood sugar, and cholesterol control.  The number one killer in the United States and around the world is what we eat. As you can see in the graph below and at 0:15 in my video Friday Favorites:...