What do I think of the recent data on dietary fish oil supplements? Two hints: Think “free lunch.” And this: “What your grandmother knew to be true is still true…” I hope you head over to In the Prime/Voices and take a look at my take of the recent news concerning yet another cracked pillar […]
Category: Nutrition
Tonight, let’s talk a little about ‘normal.’ Nearly every weekend in the fall, during cyclocross season, I line up with a cadre of other men who look as though they desperately need to “eat a sandwich.” You look around for calm and all you see are ribs and hip bones poking through spandex. Seriously, these […]
This was a huge week for basic health news. My colleagues over at theHeart.org covered a number of interesting studies. If you haven’t already, I’d take a look at their “prevention” tab. There is a provocative story challenging the use of drugs for mild high blood pressure; another that relates (ABO) blood type and the […]
Let’s talk about eating fat. And being smart. Or as my refined readers say…having good cognitive function. Seriously, if you are a cyclist, runner, or triathlete the next most important thing after muscular endurance and strength is brainpower. And the brain isn’t just important for filling time during those long intervals when deceleration incidents force […]
I like positive thinking. Optimism helps keep inflammation at bay. You can’t be a heart doctor and think problems are hopeless or that bad outcomes will occur. But…I have to tell you, obesity and its flume of chronic diseases makes it tough to stay upbeat. As an office doctor, obesity frustrates; as an internationalist, working […]
Mondays are the toughest. For you too? I can’t seem to stop. That’s the problem. It’s not the starting; it’s pushing away from the table. Do you talk to yourself? Do you ask yourself whether that extra bag of chips, M & M’s or cookie will help or hurt you? Fifteen minutes after eating that […]
A recent trial suggesting that men who drink sugary beverages increase their heart attack risk by 20% was covered extensively in the mainstream media. There’s a lot of liquid sugar consumed around here. I have two rules about drinking this stuff… My criteria for indulging: greater than three hours on the bike, or after any […]
I am hoping for some input with this case because I really don’t know the right answer. The case: A 52 year-old male endurance athlete seeks my opinion about whether to continue taking statins. His primary care doctor says yes. He is not so sure. Neither am I. He exercises regularly, maintains both a high […]
It feels like cheating. Taking care of heart patients teaches you tons about wellness. Figuring out stuff in Medicine means observing its many patterns. And one such highly repetitive theme is how healthy older patients defy the ravages of aging. Take the 90 year-old man I saw recently. He was about perfect: big blue eyes […]
‘Good,’ I say. Let’s spread the word that pills do not hold the answer to preventing heart disease. And while we are shouting, let’s add this one: There’s no such thing as a free lunch! Medicines come with more than just a dollar cost. When an obscure AF doctor blogs about the limitations of statins […]
I always think it a bad idea. It should not be the reason. I exercise so I can eat—a lot. Ouch. As a cyclist, doctor and worshiper of common sense, this idea pains me. Notwithstanding the beauty of cycling and running well, such a plan has to be unhealthy. Though I admit to not having […]