Modern Technology Makes Food Unhealthy (Video)

Dr. Weil discusses how technology is changing the way our food is processed and its negative effects on our health.

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Do You Need a Colonoscopy?

Despite being one of the most preventable and curable cancers, over 140,000 new cases of colorectal cancer are diagnosed and over 50,000 people die from this disease each year. One in 19 men and one in 20 women will develop it over their lifetime.

The American Cancer Society recommends a colonoscopy for everyone over age 50 and for high-risk people who are younger, yet fewer than half of Americans undergo the test. A colonoscopy looks for early signs of cancer in the colon and rectum, most forms of which are slow growing. As many as 95% of colorectal cancer cases are curable if detected early, and colonoscopy is an effective form of detection: a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine states that the death rate from colorectal cancer was cut by 53 percent in those who had a colonoscopy and whose doctors removed precancerous growths.

So who should get a colonoscopy? Both men and women are at almost equal risk for colorectal cancer, and those age 50 or older are at a higher risk. Other risk factors include a family history of cancer of the colon or rectum, and personal history of:

• Cancer of the colon, rectum, ovary, endometrium or breast, as well as polyps in the colon.

• Ulcerative colitis (ulcers in the lining of the large intestine) or Crohn's disease.

• Hereditary conditions such as familial adenomatous polyposis and hereditary nonpolyposis colon cancer (HNPCC; Lynch Syndrome).

In addition to talking about a colonoscopy with your doctor, take a look at your diet and lifestyle: an estimated 50 to 75 percent of colorectal cancer cases can be prevented though small changes. Eat a diet that is high in fruits, vegetable and whole grains, such as the Anti-Inflammatory Diet; reduce your intake of red and processed meats; maintain a healthy weight; don’t smoke; drink alcohol in moderation; and enjoy regular exercise to reduce your chances of developing colorectal cancer or to keep it from coming back.

Breakfast at the 2012 Nutrition Conference (Photos)

Breakfast is a vital meal, providing energy and focus for a productive day. These are some of the delicious, healthy choices attendees of the 2012 Nutrition Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, had for their morning meal.

Is Your Skin Getting Toasted as You Travel?

If your car has heated seats, you may have noticed an occasional rash on the back of your legs. That’s “toasted skin syndrome,” a new condition reported in the February 2012 issue of the Archives of Dermatology. The rash, known medically as erythema ab igne (EAI), indicates that you’ve been exposed to heat but haven’t been burned. This can happen if you frequently drive for an hour or so with the seat heat turned to the highest setting. The rash is worse on the leg that presses against the hot seat compared to the one extended to the gas pedal. The biggest concern here is cosmetic, but there’s also a chance that toasted skin syndrome could be mistaken for other dermatologic conditions or infections, leading to unnecessary tests. The same types of rash have been seen in people who use space heaters under their desks or use their laptops on their laps. The short-term treatment: turn off the seat heat, but be aware the rash can take months to disappear.

Fruits & Vegetables for Better Skin

Here’s a headline that could add up to new respect for fruits and vegetables: researchers in Scotland have found that the more fresh produce you eat, the healthier - and better - your skin looks and the more you’re perceived as attractive. The investigators from the University of St. Andrews looked at skin changes associated with the fruit and vegetable consumption of 35 students over the course of six weeks. They found that increased consumption of fruits and vegetables gave skin a healthy golden glow, while students who ate fewer fruits and vegetables during the study lost some skin color. The study team attributed the improvements to the carotenoids (red and yellow pigments) found naturally in the fruits and vegetables. Even small increases in produce consumption led to visible improvements in skin color, researchers said. They’re now conducting trials to find out whether the positive skin changes can induce people to change their eating habits and consume more fruits and vegetables. The study was published March 7 in the online journal PLoS ONE.

Read more: Six Tips for Healthy Hair & Skin.

How Would You Describe Your Diet Soda Consumption? (Poll)

A recent Q&A discussed the addictiveness of diet soda: Diet Soda Downside? Check out the article and let us know how often you drink diet soda!

Remedy for Sedentary Desk Jobs

If you’re overweight and spend your day at a desk job, you’re at increased risk for diabetes - but you may be able to reverse that trend and help control blood sugar simply by taking "activity breaks.” New research from Australia found that regular, short breaks - as little as two minutes, three times an hour - during which you move around can result in a 30 percent improvement in the body’s response to high calorie meals. The researchers recruited 19 men and women, 45 to 65 years of age, who were overweight or obese, to engage in three experiments that took place six days apart. For the first investigation, the participants sat for five hours with no break; for the second one, they sat for five hours, but took a two minute break every 20 minutes and walked on a treadmill at a light-intensity pace; for the third one, they took the same breaks but picked up their pace on the treadmill to moderate intensity. Before each session, the participants received a test drink containing 75 grams of glucose and 50 grams of fat to simulate a high calorie meal. The 30 percent improvements in sugar metabolism differed little between walking at light or moderate intensity. The study was published online on February 28, 2012 by Diabetes Care.

My take? If the findings from this small study are confirmed by further research, they could be of enormous benefit to a lot of people who don’t get any regular exercise because they’re desk-bound all day. An active two-minute break every 20 minutes would add up to 48 minutes of exercise during an eight-hour working day. That could pay off even more than the 30 percent improvement seen in this study. And it might encourage inactive individuals to fit more exercise into their after-work hours. We all should strive to do something aerobic every day, some activity that gets your heart beating faster and your breathing going, and some sweat appearing on your skin. For maximum benefit to your cardiovascular system, aerobic activity should be continuous and sustained for more than a few minutes. My recommendation is to work toward the goal of doing thirty minutes of some type of aerobic activity at least five days a week.

Advantage of Body Fat (Video)

Dr. Weil discusses the idea that as long as one remains healthy and fit, some body fat is good for our health as it helps protect the brain and nervous system.

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