Diets high in fat and low in carbohydrates, such as the ketogenic or modified Atkins diet, may reduce seizures in adults with tough-to-treat epilepsy, according to a review of the research published in the October 29, 2014, online issue ofNeurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Epilepsy is a nervous system disorder in which the nerve cells in the brain work abnormally, causing seizures. About 50 million people have epilepsy worldwide, according to the World Health Organization.

“We need new treatments for the 35 percent of people with epilepsy whose seizures are not stopped by medications,” said study author Pavel Klein, M.B.,B. Chir., of the Mid-Atlantic Epilepsy and Sleep Center in Bethesda, Md., and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. “The ketogenic diet is often used in children, but little research has been done on how effective it is in adults.”

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Researchers at UC San Francisco have launched SugarScience, a groundbreaking research and education initiative designed to highlight the most authoritative scientific findings on added sugar and its impact on health.

The national initiative is launching in partnership with outreach programs in health departments across the country, including the National Association of City and County Health Organizations and cities nationwide.

Developed by a team of UCSF health scientists in collaboration with scientists at UC Davis and Emory University School of Medicine, the initiative reflects an exhaustive review of more than 8,000 scientific papers that have been published to date on the health effects of added sugar.

The research shows strong evidence of links between the overconsumption of added sugar and chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver disease. It also reveals evidence linking sugar to Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, although the team assessed that more research is needed before those links can be considered conclusive.

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Take your average guy or gal that decides they’re committed to finally losing that extra weight that’s crept on over the years. They’re going to eat healthy (primally, of course), start working out, and stop all the nonsense they know to be unhealthy. This might be you.

A few days go by, then a week. The scale is budging, but barely. “This is going to take forever! How long is this going to take?

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“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” is as true today as it was when we heard our grandparents say it. In 2015, Americans should know that what we eat, drink and how much we exercise have a profound effect on our health and well-being. Exposure to harmful, cancer-causing chemicals in our personal care products, cosmetics, cleaning agents and foods is raising our risk for cancer. And our children are most vulnerable to the effects of diet, exercise, and environmental toxins, and will predict their future health outcomes.

As a physician, I recognize that we all have an opportunity to enhance our health, and reduce our cancer risk. That is why I became involved with Less Cancer, a not-for-profit organization founded by Bill Couzens that is dedicated to the reduction of cancer risk.

As author of A World Without Cancer, and a board member of Less Cancer, I understand that the special event we’ve planned for February 4th, National Cancer Prevention Day, is necessary to raise awareness and motivate people in all walks of life to do more to prevent cancer. Less Cancer’s event on Capitol Hill will welcome public health and public policy leaders, university students, cancer prevention advocates, legislators and more. I am honored to serve as moderator for the panel discussion, and look forward to a lively exchange of information and insights.

There is so much we can do right now to reduce our cancer risk. Over 50 percent of all cancer is preventable by applying what we know right now. Attention to diet, exercise, avoiding or at least limiting alcohol, ending smoking, protecting our skin from the sun and avoiding stress are important to live healthier lives, with lower cancer risk.

Our children are our future. A critical time of growth and development occurs from childhood to adolescence, when we can improve our children’s health, and reduce their cancer risk. Nutritious meals, including lunch in school, and daily physical exercise, are essential for children and adolescents.

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Your body is not the only thing that needs a good detox once in a while.  When I mention detoxification, you probably think about something your body does to lose weight, support your liver, and generally feel and look better. Strange as it sounds, your kitchen could also use a good detox!

Most likely, the food industry holds your kitchen hostage. No doubt your cupboards and pantry are filled with ultra-processed fare. Detoxifying your kitchen allows you to escape these shackles and transform your kitchen to a place of wellness. A healthy kitchen provides the foundation for a healthy you.

If you make your kitchen a safe zone, with only foods that nourish rather than harm, then you will automatically make the right choices.  If you fill it with crap, you will eat crap, no matter how much willpower you have.

The first step to detoxify your kitchen, then, is not to load it with junk and clear out whatever junk currently is stocking your cupboards. If its not there you won’t eat it. It’s that simple. If you have to get in your car and drive five miles you probably will skip that donut, cookie or ice cream. You are removing ways that you will unconsciously sabotage yourself.

Here are four-step process to effectively detoxify your kitchen and restock it with healthy foods.

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Researchers found that the regimen — rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, fish and olive oil — appears to be associated with longer telomere length, which are indicators of slower aging.

Telomeres are located on the ends of chromosomes — much like the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces. According to geneticists, telomeres prevent chromosomes from fraying and scrambling the genetic codes they contain. These bits of genetic material naturally shorten with age, but they tend to shorten more slowly in healthy people.

Shorter telomeres have long been associated with a greater risk of age-related diseases and a shorter life span, experts say.

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If you’re looking to lose weight or improve your health, you may be trying to do everything in your power to ensure your success: you eat right, sleep well, exercise daily. You may have even wondered whether exercising at a certain time of day could thwart or ensure your success.

Well, according to some researchers, there is a best time of day to exercise to keep your physique — especially if you’ve been hitting up the comfort foods. It may seem counterintuitive, but the best time to exercise is early in the morning, before breakfast.    

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Pesticides are an increasing concern among populations all across the world. Even organic food, which is grown without the use of chemical additions, are suffering from the effects of pesticide overexposure. Not only are they harming our food, our bodies, and our environment, many pesticides may be non essential when it comes to keeping crops safe from insects. Here are some of the shocking facts about pesticides that everyone should know.

Children Harmed by Pesticide Exposure, Yet EPA Says There isn’t an Issue

Three recent university studies, spanning up to 14 years in duration, have proven Chlorpyrifos as negatively impacting human health, including organ damage, mental disorders, learning disabilities, increased autism rates, and an average of 7 IQ point decline in children exposed. EPA continues to turn a blind eye.

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Instead of taking a pill, taking in such spine-tingling wonders as the Grand Canyon, Sistine Chapel ceiling or Schubert’s “Ave Maria” may give a boost to the body’s defense system, according to new research

Scientists from the University of California Berkeley have linked positive emotions – especially the awe we feel when touched by the beauty of nature, art and spirituality – with lower levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins that signal the immune system to work harder.

“Our findings demonstrate that positive emotions are associated with the markers of good health,” said Jennifer Stellar, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Toronto and lead author of the study, which she conducted while at UC Berkeley.

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There is a perception that healthy food is more expensive than the regular food. This is not entirely accurate. Healthy prepared food often costs more, but if you cook your own food, you do not need to pay an arm and a leg. Healthy eating requires more time and effort, which is something many people are not willing or able to invest.

This is where the food industry comes in. A study conducted by Nielsen and USA Today on food purchase habits, found that younger consumers are more interested in healthy food. Furthermore, they are willing to spend more to buy healthy food:

“The most health-centric are Generation Z — consumers under age 20 — with 41% saying they would willingly pay a premium for “healthier” products. That compares with 32% of Millennials (ages 21 to 34) and about 21% of Baby Boomers (about 50 to mid-60s).”

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