Dr. Tracy McAlvanah's Wellness Blog

Most of us are starting the New Year with resolutions to improve, but few changes will improve your life more than regular exercise. However, starting an exercise habit can seem insurmountable to the chronically sedentary. This article offers tips to get you motivated to begin and stick with regular exercise. First off, there’s more to exercise than just weight loss. Have you seen the significant difference between elderly people who exercise versus those who don’t? That’s because the organ that benefits most from exercise is your brain, and regular exercise will help keep you sharp and nimble well into your golden years. Exercise also is the key to lowering your risk of heart disease, bone loss, dementia, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, depression, anxiety, loneliness, poor self-esteem, and more. However, its reputation as a health panacea is not sufficiently motivating. To be motivating exercise needs to be is fun. Research shows that once they make exercise a “ should ,...

It’s no secret that drinking too much alcohol can cause a hangover. Have you ever wondered what goes on inside your body that could cause so much suffering? The facts are intriguing, and may even change how much you drink. The formal term for hangover is veisalgia, from kveis, the Norwegian word for “uneasiness following debauchery,” and algia, the Greek word for pain. Generally, the more drinks consumed, the worse the hangover. Some common symptoms of hangover include: General malaise Headache Nausea Fatigue Dehydration Anxiety Difficulty Sleeping While we don’t know why all the symptoms of hangover occur, scientists have uncovered some unique facts behind the  physiology  of the common symptoms. Vasopressin Inhibition: Enter Dehydration Alcohol consumption blocks the production of vasopressin, a hormone that promotes water absorption in the body. Without enough vasopressin, the body sends water directly to the kidneys for elimination. Ever notice how much you ...

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, have you thought about how to express your affection for someone you love who lives with a chronic illness?  Chronic illness  is at an all-time high in the United States, with 75 percent of our health care dollars going to treat such chronic illnesses as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. Because chronic illness is invisible to others, living with the symptoms of pain, fatigue, depression, and inflammation can be very  stressful . Chocolates not a good idea for chronically ill The traditional gift of chocolate may not be the best idea; many chocolates are made in factories where they become cross-contaminated with gluten and other food allergens, and the sugar and caffeine in chocolate can exacerbate chronic health symptoms. Be wary of Valentine's Day dinner out for chronically ill In fact, it’s best to avoid gifts that involve food; many people with chronic illness have sensitivities to a variety of foods. Y...

Tis the pumpkin season, which for most people conjures images of pumpkin lattes, pumpkin pie, and pumpkin cookies. However, this colorful, nutritious, and affordable squash does not have to be relegated to the dessert table or Starbucks drive-through. There are plenty of ways to enjoy the pumpkin’s bounty without spiking your blood sugar and loading up on calories. Pumpkin soup Pumpkin makes a great addition to soup, whether in chunks or as a puree. You can make a  pumpkin puree soup  with homemade chicken broth and coconut milk and seasoned with ginger, cloves, sage, and salt. For a finishing touch, add in chopped bacon bits. Or make a soup with chopped pumpkin and other veggies and meats. Pumpkin bowl chili or stew For this recipe, make your favorite  chili  or stew recipe and serve it inside a small, roasted pumpkin or squash. To roast your whole pumpkin, cut off the top, scoop out the insides, and place in a pan with a half inch of water and bake at 375 de...