Anita Bennett MD

About 45% of Americans make some form of a resolution for the New Year; with many of those including health conscious goals. Some goals are set too high and may not be realistic. Some resolutions are better for your health than others. For instance, going on a crash diet to…

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that is related to the decreased light exposure in the winter months.  I mentioned it last week as one of the possible causes of the “holiday blues”, but it is an important topic that really deserves a full discussion of its…

We think of the holiday season as a happy and joyous time of year.  Unfortunately, for many people, this is a time filled with sadness, loneliness, or anxiety.  There are many reasons why this may happen.   I thought that I would take some time today to talk about the causes…

This time of year, there are many temptations that might strain your usual good judgement when it comes to healthy eating. It is certainly easy to get carried away by all of the holiday merry making. Unfortunately, it is also easy to put on an extra 3-5 pounds over the…

This is the time of year that most Americans start decorating for the holiday season.   Although we all love the decorations associated with the holidays, they do not come without some risks, especially for children. Here are some things to keep in mind to keep the holiday season safe. If…

Last week was U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week.  This happens annually in an effort to highlight the steps that everyone can take to improve how and when we use antibiotics. Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem in the world today.  Bacteria have many ways in which they can become resistant to…

It may seem hard to believe, but approximately 80% of American adults and adolescents are insufficiently active.  Appropriate physical activity can make such an impact on how you feel and how you function.  It also reduces the risk for many chronic diseases.  This week, new physical activity guidelines were released. …

 A family doctor can be your first point of contact within the healthcare system.  If you have a medical need that comes up quickly, such as an unexpected rash, flu-like symptoms, or strep throat, your family doctor can be your go-to choice for treatment.   Far too many Americans use an…

We have talked quite a bit over the past two weeks about the basics of sleep physiology, as well as how sleep deficiency impacts both your physical and mental health, as well as your performance and productivity.  I thought that today we could review several strategies to help you get…

Last week we learned some of the basics of sleep, including what makes us sleep.  Today I thought we could talk about why sleep is so important, and how much sleep we really need. Why is sleep so important? The truth is that we don’t really know enough about why…