Dr. Mark and Dr. Chip's Healthy Blogs

 Analysis by Dr. Joseph Mercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE High resistance Inspiratory Muscle Strength Training (IMST) reduced systolic blood pressure measurements in participants by nine points, with a 45% improvement in endothelial function, increase in nitric oxide and a reduction in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation Preliminary results also suggest it improves cognitive and physical functioning. Researchers were encouraged when 95% of the sessions were completed, far better than the less than 40% who meet the current aerobic exercise guidelines High blood pressure may lead to kidney disease, heart attack, stroke, vision loss, heart failure and sexual dysfunction. It also increases the risk of peripheral artery disease, vascular dementia and brain lesions and tangles associated with Alzheimer's disease Other strategies that may help lower your blood pressure include addressing identified factors that lead to increased blood pressure, such as elevated uric acid and insulin resi

Omega-3 Index More Predictive Than Cholesterol Levels Analysis by  Dr. Joseph Mercola STORY AT-A-GLANCE Your omega-3 index has a greater impact on risk of heart disease than does your cholesterol level Plant-based omega-3 ALA is converted in restricted amounts to EPA and DHA, but not in large enough amounts to support your brain and heart health EPA and DHA improve blood pressure, reduce inflammation and help slow the progression of Alzheimer's The best sources of EPA and DHA are fatty fish such as herring, anchovies and wild-caught Alaskan salmon, as well as grass fed beef and dairy that have a nearly 1-to-1 ratio of omega-3 to 6 The ketogenic diet is beneficial for many people as it helps with weight control and management and offers protection against a number of health ailments. Approached incorrectly, however, it can actually be harmful. In this short video Dr. Eric Berg warns, "The last thing you want to do is get the benefits of the ketogenic diet

Wow - what a nice weekend. Sunday sure was nice and the sun is definitely getting stronger. Looks like rain and snow this week for a while but hopefully we’ll get back to good weather. We need more sunshine this time of year and we tell our patients it is even good to go to the suntan booth for 10 minutes a week. This is good to help activate vitamin D and just relax and get warm. Pretend you’re on a beach!             As were still in February, we’re still talking about heart health this month. Don’t forget our upcoming health shop tonight at 6 o’clock here at the office and on Facebook and Instagram. We will be talking about the heart sound recorder which is a great instrument to listen in on the valves of the heart, giving us an insight into what nutrition that person is lacking to strengthen the heart muscle so the valves work correctly. Most people that have valve problems or heart murmurs have a weakened heart muscle and the valves don’t close correctly. The medics want to