The Lifestyle Checklist includes both behaviors like healthy nutrition and factors, sometimes called biomarkers, that are indicators of good health, such as blood pressure values. For each h… Read More
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The Building Blocks Of Health Blog
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In this blog, The Building Blocks of Health––How to Optimize Wellness with a Lifestyle Checklist, preventive medicine expert J. Joseph Speidel, MD, MPH, describes why most of us have a lifestyle that is harming our health and provides a science-based strategy to reverse the lifestyle-related damage that leads to illness and early death. Readers will learn how to prevent up to 90% of diabetes, 80% of heart disease, nearly 50% of cancers, and add 10 to 15 years to life. Each blog focuses on an important health-related topic including nutrition, weight control, heart disease, and cancer.
Although much of what you need to do to prevent illness is up to the lifestyle you choose, the help of a health care provider, for example, a physician or licensed nurse practitioner, is als… Read More
Studies that consider multiple lifestyle health factors linked to good health provide strong evidence that no one health-enhancing factor is decisive and that the more beneficial factors&mda… Read More
Heart disease and stroke are made more likely by unhealthy nutrition, smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, and sedentary physical activity habits. Only 54% of Americans with high blood pre… Read More
Studies have considered multiple lifestyle behaviors and health. The good news from all of these studies is that someone with a healthy lifestyle is likely to live about a decade longer and… Read More
Studies have considered multiple lifestyle behaviors and health. The good news from all of these studies is that someone with a healthy lifestyle is likely to live about a decade longer and… Read More
Adherence to physical activity guidelines
Exercise helps control weight, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and some cancers. Among those surveyed by the CDC, ina… Read More
Studies reveal that more than 90% of adult Americans have at least some unhealthy behaviors or unhealthy conditions. The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used data from 3… Read More
Many diseases that may or may not ultimately be fatal, can become chronic and have a severe impact on the quality of life. About 100 million Americans—almost 1 out of every 2 adults ha… Read More
At the beginning of the 20th-century, the communicable infectious diseases, pneumonia, tuberculosis, and diarrheal disease were the three leading causes of death in the U.S. Heart disease wa… Read More
This blog and my book, The Building Blocks of Health presents the science that underlies a health-restoring, health-preserving lifestyle. Readers interested in health shoul… Read More
Most of medicine is focused on curing, rather than preventing disease. The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how little we invested in the public health infrastructure that could have been mobi… Read More
I became a believer that a healthy lifestyle is the road to wellness after seeing it work for sick patients. I evaluated a healthy living program at the Continental Health Enhancement Center… Read More
The main purpose of this blog is to help you reduce or eliminate health risks you can control. Your health care provider can and should be a partner in this quest. They should be well-traine… Read More
Welcome to a new blog with the goal of helping you to take charge of and improve your health by adopting a healthy lifestyle. I’m J. Joseph Speidel MD, MPH a physician and researcher w… Read More
National Eye Institute’s advice on avoiding visual impairment and blindness
The following is a modified version of the National Eye Institute’s advice for preserving
eye health:… Read More
Visual impairment may make normal daily activities such as driving and reading
difficult or impossible. Fortunately, 80% of all visual impairment can be prevented
or corrected. About two-thi… Read More
Prevent exposure at work
Many substances used on the job, in office buildings, or in workplace renovation
projects are toxic to reproductive health. By law, you have a right to a safe and
he… Read More
Consumer Reports (CR) recommends to always buy organic foods to avoid pesticides
but notes that eating many conventionally grown foods is low risk and that
high consumption of fruits and veg… Read More
Don’t smoke
Don’t smoke and don’t let people smoke around you and stay away from public
places where people are smoking.
Become a smart consumer
Use non-toxic personal care… Read More
Although pharmaceuticals are designed to enhance health, some have the potential
to cause problems. When outdated and unused drugs are put into trash or flushed,
they may end up in our wate… Read More
Hearing loss is common; 23% of Americans aged 12 or older have hearing loss that
significantly impairs the quality of their lives. An estimated 25.4 million Americans
have mild, 10.7 million… Read More
Don’t use pesticides for pests
Pesticides are toxic chemicals for killing insects, rodents, weeds, bacteria, and mold.
• Keep insects and rodents out of your home. Clean up crumbs… Read More
In an effort to reduce exposures to environmental toxins, the U.S. has established
a National Priorities List (NPL) of hazardous waste sites eligible for long-term
remedial cleanup financed… Read More
Among the chemicals suspected of being endocrine disruptors, bisphenol A (BPA)
and phthalates (key ingredients in plastics) are probably the best studied and the
research is indicative that… Read More
An endocrine disruptor is a substance or mixture of chemicals that alter functions
of the endocrine system and causes adverse health effects in an intact organism, or
its progeny. Endocrine… Read More
Some toxins, such as pesticides, affect the nervous system, and there is thought to
be a link between exposure to them and increases in learning and developmental
disabilities such as autis… Read More
Exposure to tobacco smoke and other forms of air pollution in pregnancy is associated
with a wide range of behavioral, neurological, and physical difficulties
in babies including stillbirth… Read More
Very few chemicals, minerals, and metals have been thoroughly tested for their
impact on human health. Almost all testing that has been done has focused on individual
chemicals, so there is… Read More
Until 2016, toxic substances in the U.S. were regulated by the 1976 Toxic Substances
Control Act (TSCA), which left the burden of proving that chemicals are
dangerous almost entirely up to t… Read More
It is not unusual for outdoor air pollution to come indoors by way of open windows,
doors, and ventilation. Indoor air pollution involves exposures to particulates, carbon
oxides, and other… Read More
A wide array of chronic illnesses and acute health impacts is associated with air
pollution exposure. Research has shown that long-term exposure to air pollutants
can reduce lung growth and… Read More
• Young and healthy men and women often face reproductive health risks that
they need to address by sexuality education and by the adoption of safe
behaviors.
• The use of effectiv… Read More
The American Urological Association recommends a thorough evaluation before
treatment of OAB, and the Urology Care Foundation suggests that the first thing
to try to manage overactive bladde… Read More
There are many conditions and diseases involving the urologic and reproductive
systems, such as bladder infections that require treatment with antibiotics. They
are more common in women and… Read More
The risks associated with pregnancy and childbirth are often underestimated. In a
recent study in the U.S., only about half of women were aware that pregnancy entails
significant health risk… Read More
Measures to reduce STIs include comprehensive sexuality education; STI and HIV
testing and pre- and post-screening counseling; condom promotion; interventions
targeted at vulnerable populati… Read More
The Center for Communicable Diseases and Prevention (CDC) estimates that there
are nearly 20 million new sexually transmitted infections every year in the U.S.,
with half occurring among you… Read More
Because a person can have an STI without having obvious symptoms of a disease,
the term sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is the preferred usage, but the term
sexually transmitted disea… Read More
To get around the stringent rules that apply to prescription drug advertising, the ads
on TV offering help for Low-T do not advertise a specific product. Because they
can be considered to be… Read More
Hormone therapy for women after their menopause was once advocated as a way
to prevent both menopausal symptoms and cardiovascular disease—this proved to
be only partially correct. The… Read More
Abortion
International research shows that women with unintended pregnancies in all countries
use abortion to attain their childbearing goals, regardless of its legal status. In
the U.S., ha… Read More
Combined oral contraceptives (COCs)
Combined oral contraceptives contain synthetic versions of naturally occurring estrogen
and progesterone. COC users may experience a variety of minor side… Read More
Injectable progestin contraceptives (e.g., Depo-Provera or DMPA), do not contain
an estrogen, so they do not increase the risk of the adverse cardiovascular problems
experienced by some comb… Read More
Contraceptive implants
The contraceptive implant Nexplanon® is a highly effective long-acting reversible
contraceptive (LARC) method. Nexplanon® has FDA approval for three years of
u… Read More
The risk of serious harm from contraceptives is low for most women, particularly
when compared to the risks to health associated with pregnancy. Some contraceptives
have health benefits beyo… Read More
Many factors that are not related to health, such as convenience and cost, are appropriate
to be considered when choosing a contraceptive. Although currently available
contraceptive technolo… Read More
Unintended pregnancies, that is to say, pregnancies that are unplanned or unwanted,
are a frequent occurrence and a global problem. In the United States, nearly half
(45%) of the 6 million a… Read More
Good sexual and reproductive health
is a state of wellbeing relating to reproduction and the body’s reproductive system.
It includes the ability to have a satisfying and safe sex life… Read More
Support bone health by:
• Engaging in regular high-impact, weight-bearing, and strength-training
physical activity.
• Getting enough vitamin D, preferably from food and sunshine.
… Read More
The decision to start a medication to halt or reverse bone loss should be made only
after a thorough medical evaluation and with expert medical advice. Some experts
consider that there are t… Read More
Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because bone loss occurs without symptoms.
People may not know that they have osteoporosis until their bones become
so weak that a sudden stress… Read More
A 2013 review by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) suggests that
routine use of vitamin D and calcium supplementation by postmenopausal women
is not of proven value for the pr… Read More
Calcium needs change over one’s lifetime, with the greatest needs during childhood,
adolescence, pregnancy, and breastfeeding. Postmenopausal women and older men
may also need to consu… Read More
Weight-Bearing Physical Activity
A sedentary lifestyle is an important risk for osteoporosis. Weight-bearing and high
impact exercise are important for osteoporosis prevention and treatment… Read More
Prevention of osteoporosis
Because osteopenia and osteoporosis are so common, everyone should be concerned
with prevention. Many conditions associated with an increased risk of
the developme… Read More
Osteoporosis or “porous bone” is a common condition of the skeletal system characterized
by low bone mass and the deterioration and weakening of bone tissue. Osteopenia is the mi… Read More
• Cover up coughs and wear a mask during epidemics caused by airborne
transmission of pathogens.
• Physical distance and avoid poorly ventilated spaces if recommended.
• Stay… Read More
The CDC has specific vaccination recommendations for children, college ages, and
young adults ages 19 through 24, adults, and seniors. There are also recommendations
for catching up on immun… Read More
Because of low levels of vaccine-preventable diseases in the U.S., lack of knowledge
about the importance of vaccination, and unrealistic fears about the risks of
vaccination, some people ar… Read More
Vaccines are not free from side effects, or “adverse effects,” but most are very rare
or very mild—for example, a sore arm or low-grade fever—and they go away within… Read More
The development of vaccination to prevent infectious disease is among the most
important medical and public health advances that prevents illness, suffering, long-term
disability, and death… Read More
Preventing all infections is not possible, but the risk of infection can be minimized
by sanitary day-to-day behavioral practices.
Cover up and wear a face mask
To minimize spreading germs… Read More
Just about any part of the human body can become infected. We are all familiar
with colds and other respiratory infections, gastrointestinal and urinary tract infections,
but less common in… Read More
In the short term, the spread of COVID-19 infections can be prevented to some
extent by containment—the testing, identification, and isolation of cases and their
contacts. Given the h… Read More
By December 2020, the known global infections with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2
had topped 66 million, caused more than 1.5 million deaths, and cases are occurring
in all or nearly all countr… Read More
A disease outbreak is called an epidemic when the number of people who become
infected in a country or setting rises well beyond what is usual. A pandemic infects
many more people and entail… Read More
Recently, decreased acceptance of vaccination has resulted in the re-emergence of
previously well-controlled and, at times, fatal diseases such as whooping cough
(pertussis) and measles. Abo… Read More
Worldwide, infections are a very common cause of human disease and death. Clean
water, sanitary handling of food, control of insect and animal sources of infection,
use of vaccinations, and… Read More
Clearly, mental health has a major influence on the quality of life, physical health,
and health care costs. Mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, and many other mental
health conditions are m… Read More
In addition to cannabis, ecstasy, LSD, PCP, mescaline, peyote, psilocybin, psilocin,
cocaine, methamphetamines, and a variety of opioids, opium, morphine, heroin,
oxycodone (OxyContin), hydr… Read More
CBD—a nonintoxicating component of marijuana
Consumption of cannabidiol, or CBD, is a new wildly popular fad being touted as a
miracle cure for a wide variety of ailments. CBD is one o… Read More
Marijuana has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
to be used as a medicine. The uncertain purity and dosages of smoked and edible
marijuana are not likely to be… Read More
Effects of long-term or heavy use include:
• Addiction (in about 9% of users overall or 2.7 million Americans, 17% of
those who begin use in adolescence, and 25% to 50% of those who are… Read More
Although the public favors legalization and 60% of high school seniors do not think
that regular marijuana use is harmful, marijuana does have a plethora of adverse
short-term and long-term… Read More
Marijuana and other psycho-active drugs can cause symptoms and behavior changes
similar to those caused by mental health issues. As of August 2019, thirty-three
states and the District of Co… Read More
In contrast to a short-term psychosis or “break,” schizophrenia is a chronic, severe,
and disabling brain disorder that has the prominent symptom of psychosis.
Schizophrenia affe… Read More
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) describes psychosis as: “An episode
of psychosis is when a person has a break from reality and often involves seeing,
hearing and believi… Read More
Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a broad range of symptoms,
skills, and levels of impairment or disability.
ASD is characterized by:
• Persistent deficits in social com… Read More
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood
disorders, with symptoms such as difficulty staying focused and paying attention,
difficulty controlling b… Read More
Anxiety disorders
Anxiety is a normal response to life stresses. It is normal to have worries and get
upset from time to time, but for some people, the level of anxiety gets out of control
r… Read More
Depression should not be neglected. Although about one-third of patients with depression
recover spontaneously, early intervention with professional mental health
care can help avoid the con… Read More
Suicide is associated with mental illness. Those who have chronic mood disorders
such as depression or psychosis are 10 to 20 times more likely to commit suicide.
About 7% of men and 1% of w… Read More
More on managing stress, avoiding depression and insights from a long-term study
Maintain or re-establish your normal routine
Familiar activities such as meals with family and friends, readi… Read More
Be physically active
Many individuals report and studies confirm that physical activity is a stress reliever.
A study found that when measured objectively, greater physical activity was
asso… Read More
Adopting a healthy lifestyle can preserve and improve mental health as well as
physical health. In the course of everyone’s life, events bring anxieties, fears, and
stresses. Managing… Read More
Trauma and stressor-related disorders
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) is a serious condition in which an infant or
young child doesn’t establish healthy attachments with parents or… Read More
Psychological stress has important implications for both physical and mental health.
The human body has systems that trigger protective physiological responses to
acute stressors, such as be… Read More
The U.S. health system gives much attention to screening, diagnosis, and treatment
of overt mental illness, and much less to preventing mental health problems and
the enhancement of mental h… Read More
• Regular physical activity reduces the risk of many adverse health outcomes
including premature death; overweight and obesity; high blood pressure;
unhealthy blood lipid patterns; deme… Read More
One problem with many HIT regimens is that many adopters don’t enjoy the high
effort required in high-intensity interval workouts and soon abandon the programs.
To address this problem… Read More
Considerable recent research is focused on the health and training effects of very
short duration high-intensity physical activity and the idea that we can rely on a
few high-intensity inter… Read More
The 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans140 use the term “physical activity”
to refer to bodily movement that enhances health. This is a different lens
than considerin… Read More
Research has documented the important health benefits of 150 or better yet 300
hours of moderate intensity physical activity a week. This level of physical activity
contributes to fitness. B… Read More
The beneficial effects of increasing physical activity: it’s about overload, progression,
and specificity
Overload is the physical stress placed on the body when physical activity is g… Read More
A warm-up or cool-down involves doing an activity at a slower speed or lower
intensity. A warm-up before activity allows a gradual increase in heart rate and
breathing at the start of the ep… Read More
Muscle-strengthening activities provide additional benefits not found with aerobic
activity, including increased bone strength and muscular fitness. Muscle-strengthening
activities can also… Read More
Target heart rate and estimated maximum heart rate
One way of monitoring physical activity intensity is to determine whether a person’s
pulse or heart rate is within the target zone du… Read More
There are two ways to track the intensity of aerobic activity: absolute intensity and
relative intensity.
Absolute intensity is the amount of energy expended per minute of activity. A MET
(m… Read More
The key guidelines for adults also apply to older adults. In addition, the following
guidelines are just for older adults:
• When older adults cannot do 150 minutes of moderate-intensit… Read More
