How much water do you really need?

Water makes up 60% of your body weight. This number is higher for babies and less for the elderly. It is vital to life, as it helps flush out toxins from most organs and carries nutrients to all the cells of the body. Every system in your body needs water. When you don’t have enough water, you might end up suffering from dehydration, which causes you to feel weak and drained of energy.

Boost long-term heart health in just 5 minutes a day

Think you don’t have time for exercise? A new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests as little as 5 to 10 minutes of running a day, even at slow speeds, can significantly lower your risk of dying from a cardiovascular disease, such as a heart attack or stroke. This is great news, considering the top barrier to exercise is finding the time.

Tattoo safety: Health precautions every ink-seeker should know

It is no longer a stigma of prison inmates, sailors or bikers. Your health care provider may even have one! Whether it’s for personal expression or group affiliation, seems more and more people are getting a tattoo, from celebrities to the “average Joe.” One poll shows that 21% of Americans are inked.

Magnesium: Don’t you forget about me

Doctors often talk about drugs in terms of the minerals they throw out of whack. Some are “potassium-sparing,” while others are “calcium-wasting.”

Is iodine deficiency on your radar?

Iodine deficiency isn't on the radar for most Americans. As you’ve heard on the news, most people in the U.S. eat too much salt, and common table salt is "iodized" with this essential nutrient.

Ask your doctor: 'Are supplements safe to take with my Rx?'

Many of you can probably recall that questionnaire you received at your doctor’s office inquiring whether you take any dietary supplements. If you are like most people, you do not include all the supplements or vitamins you take, and might jot down a few easy ones like vitamin C even if you take others.

Q&A: What does pH have to do with my health?

Here at pH Labs, we’ve focused our health care practice and recommendations around the maintenance of healthy pH levels in the body. Because of this approach to health and wellness, we sometimes get a lot of questions. Here are few of the comments/questions we have received.

Perk up your mood and energy with light therapy

Light has always had a powerful effect over human life. You are probably well aware of the important role sunlight plays in bone and heart health, autoimmune diseases and cancer. But did you know that –besides sunlight, artificial light can also be used as a form of wellness therapy? It appears that artificial light affects brain chemicals linked to mood and dementia.

Are your tampons toxic?

The tampon was first patented in 1931 by Dr. Earle Haas, who sought to find an alternative form of period protection for his ballerina wife. At that time, tampons were purely made from cotton. However, the ever-increasing need for more absorbency in a smaller package has led companies to use harmful materials to meet the demand.

Why you should care about your zinc levels

Recently, a close relative told me he did some bloodwork and his zinc levels “came back low.” Since I knew very little about zinc except that zinc was somehow involved in the immune system, I did some research to figure out whether he had cause for concern. As a health care attorney, research comes naturally to me, but more importantly, as a health care consumer, I believe it is important for me to be well-informed about nutrition and health issues. So, here is some of the information I found out about zinc.

Go nuts for coconut water this summer

Everyone’s going nuts for coconut water! This specialty drink has only gained mass recognition in the last few years, but its healthful effects have been around forever.

‘Healthy drinking’ -- A myth you should take a shot at, not of

You already know that heavy drinking is bad, and that alcoholism is a killer. Breast cancer, a leading cause of death among women, grows faster with heavy alcohol consumption. Excessive drinking causes weight gain, damages the kidneys over time, dulls cognitive function (causing accidental injury of all types), depletes essential vitamins, and causes cellular damage to the delicate linings of the gut. The more you drink, the higher the risks for serious health issues.