Is tracking your heart rate worthwhile?

By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on November 18, 2022

Q: How does tracking your heart rate provide information about your heart health? A: Checking your heart rate at rest and with exercise can provide information about your fitness level, and may suggest a heart problem if your pulse is too slow, too fast or irregular. Three good times to check your heart rate are soon after you wake up in the morning, during exercise, and in the... READ MORE

Irregular? What to do and what not to do

By Matthew Kadey
Posted on November 15, 2022

Chances are most of us have experienced constipation, a condition that becomes more prevalent with advancing age. In fact, constipation is one of the leading gastrointestinal complaints in America — about 63 million people in the United States experience the condition, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). In layman’s terms,... READ MORE

Why (and how) to change Medicare plans

By Kate Ashford
Posted on November 11, 2022

Medicare’s open enrollment period runs from October 15 to December 7, but 7 in 10 Medicare beneficiaries say they don’t compare Medicare plans during this period, according to a 2021 analysis by KFF, a health policy nonprofit. That’s not great, since Medicare Advantage plans — which operate much like the private insurance you may have had through an employer — change from year... READ MORE

With Covid in decline, telemedicine is too

By Tom Murphy
Posted on November 08, 2022

Telemedicine exploded in popularity after Covid hit, but limits are returning for care delivered across state lines. That complicates follow-up treatments for some cancer patients. It also can affect other types of care, including mental health therapy and routine doctor check-ins. Over the past year, nearly 40 states and Washington, D.C., have ended emergency declarations that made... READ MORE

A scratch-and-sniff test for Parkinson’s

By Margaret Foster
Posted on November 02, 2022

A seasonal cold or case of Covid can cause people to lose their sense of smell temporarily. But people whose sense of smell has disappeared for good may be at risk for brain disease. In fact, people with enduring smell loss have a 30% chance of having brain changes associated with Parkinson’s disease. Now, the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is using a screening... READ MORE

Recipes for raw vegan meals and snacks

By Erica and Maleah Stephens
Posted on October 28, 2022

The raw food diet traces back to the late 1800s, when Maximilian Bircher-Benner, a doctor, discovered he could cure his own jaundice by eating raw apples. Thus began a series of experiments testing the effects of raw food on human health, and the diet has continued to evolve. We here at Bereisheet have also discovered many of its qualities, from less prepping and cooking time, to more... READ MORE

Five foods to eat to improve your sleep

By Betty Gold, Ananda Eidelstein and Samantha Cassetty
Posted on October 25, 2022

Shortchanging your sleep makes you feel pretty crummy (as you likely know!), but the impact is even worse than you may think. Poor sleep can weaken your immune system, leaving you more susceptible to viruses. It also ups your risk of injury during intense workouts, and it can alter your appetite-regulating hormones, making you feel hungrier while simultaneously intensifying... READ MORE

Taming natural cell death for longer life

By Laura Ungar
Posted on October 24, 2022

In his basement, 95-year-old Richard Soller zips around a makeshift track encircling boxes full of medals he’s won for track and field and long-distance running. Without a hint of breathlessness, he says, “I can put in miles down here.” Steps away is an expensive leather recliner he bought when he retired from Procter & Gamble with visions of relaxing into old age. He... READ MORE

How to get fast, safe relief for heartburn

By Howard LeWine, M.D.
Posted on October 20, 2022

Q: I get heartburn about once or twice a week. What’s the best approach to get fast relief? A: Heartburn is caused by stomach acid moving up out of the stomach into the lower part of the esophagus. Reducing the overall acidity protects the esophagus from burning or irritation when the stomach contents back up or “reflux.” The fastest treatment is to neutralize the acid already... READ MORE

Non-drug therapies needed for dementia

By Andrew E. Budson, M.D.
Posted on October 19, 2022

The human and financial cost of Alzheimer’s disease is devastating. More than 55 million people are living with Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of dementia, rising to 78 million by 2030 and 139 million by 2050. In the United States alone, the Alzheimer’s Association estimated that in 2020, more than 11 million unpaid caregivers provided 15.3 billion hours of assistance (valued ... READ MORE