Stories and Ideas

The goal is in front of you. It’s not yet close enough for the soccer ball to go straight in, but it will be soon. You pick up speed. Someone intercepts. You pass the ball from your right leg to your left and then back to the right, going through the maze of defenders in […]

The cells that keep your brain functioning are nothing like the ones on your skin, shedding and renewing itself with each turn of the moon. Once a brain cell or a neuron dies, your body cannot replace it with another.[1] Instead, it turns into a scar. A ghost of a cell when you look at […]

What is Exercise Energy Expenditure?  Following my previous introductory article, we learned about energy balance and how energy intake (food) and energy output (burning calories) can help maintain or lose weight. Exercise is one of many components of the energy output equation but a common misconception is that it is considered the only way to […]

What Could You Learn From This Article? This short article intends to give you a foundational understanding of weight/body composition for our "Understanding the Basics of Weight Management Series." We will cover what weight gain is and the health implications of excessive weight gain.  We will go through topics like why we gain weight through […]

Let’s face it. Exercise can be a chore.   We know that exercise is good for you. Regular physical activity can prevent heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and several other chronic illnesses. The association between physical activity and health status is practically a straight line.[1] The American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise […]

Thanks to the advancement in medical technologies, most lethal diseases are finding cures, or, at least, their devastating effects on humanity have been lowered. COVID-19 spread across the "global village" like fire, but our knowledge of behavioral modification and medical immunology saved humankind from being wiped off the map, as feared initially. Now, we can […]

Scoliosis affects 1% to 3% of adolescents in the United States - a significant number of young people with a deformity that impairs their physical appearance and brings a potential risk for complications. Precisely those, who are at risk from complications, usually need bracing, which may be equally aesthetically unacceptable for an adolescent as the […]

Our health does not always lean on big events like opening a gym membership or starting a new diet. Often, it is built on a dozen small habits we engage in daily. Health is in the decision to bike to the grocery store instead of taking the car. The habit of mindlessly snacking may open […]

Now that the borders are finally slowly reopening after over a year of the Covid19 pandemic, many are thinking about hitting the road and charging their batteries up in an exciting travel destination. But if you, a friend, or a family member of yours have some sort of disability, then you know how difficult finding […]

Ever since a 2004 study by Sudo and associates has shown that gut microorganisms affect the stress response in mice, the interest has been growing in uncovering the relationship between the gut with its microorganisms and the brain. The research in this field has accelerated over the past few years, partly due to the low […]

No one likes going to the hospital.   Yet, a 16-year-old girl found herself being admitted into a pediatric unit for a set of puzzling symptoms. Her head would often hurt, with dizziness as a twin that followed close behind. She had a sudden onset of pain in her neck. Imagine something dull and twisted […]

Does where you live influence how long you live?   The answer might sound obvious to most people. If you live in a place where sweetened drinks are cheap, you’re going to encounter higher rates of obesity [1]. Living in food deserts increases the chance of getting heart disease [2]. Living in a place that […]

Aging is a part of the circle of life. Your once young parents, who brought you up and were there for you whenever you needed it, may need your help now. You probably want to do everything to make the final chapters of their lives happy, and their end dignified. But how do you achieve […]

It's common for people to experience conflicting advice from professionals. Frequently, a physician makes a diagnosis of your ailment and prescribes a treatment. Not feeling confident about the findings, you go for a second opinion, who may diagnose you differently and/or changes how you approach the disease. This confusion in health advice can be frustrating […]