Articles By Health Topic

Read the latest blog posts from lifestyle medicine experts at Stanford University covering health topics related to healthy aging.

Group of seated women meditating

5 Techniques to Manage Anxiety

By Sharon Brock, MS, MEd We all cope with stressors in our lives in different ways. Some people habitually watch the news or scroll social media and are constantly on edge, while others ignore the news and avoid challenging issues altogether. How do we find that middle ground where we can stay informed and take appropriate action while maintaining our center? "It's important not to check out in challenging times, but we also need to protect our mental health," says...

fruits and vegetables

Stress and the Microbiome

By Maya Shetty, BS  When it comes to our mental state and the ability to manage stress, the brain is often the first suspect. However, our nutrition can also play a significant part in that the trillions of microbes living in our gut, known as our microbiome, hold significant sway over our daily emotions and long-term mental health. This is because our microbiome and brain are in constant communication, influencing one another's next move via the gut-brain axis. “The complex interplay...

man running during sunset

How Exercise Balances Cortisol Levels

By M. Javad Ershad, MD When the alarm goes off in the morning, many feel anxious about the day ahead. Meetings, presentations, and stacks of emails await us and the thought of getting everything done on time can send our minds spiraling. This anxiety can spike our cortisol even before getting out of bed. And if we have this experience every morning, cortisol levels can stay chronically high, leading to negative impacts on our health later in life. Luckily, there’s...

Sarah Meyer Tapia

Sarah Meyer Tapia, PhD Keeps Stanford Mindful

By Sharon Brock, MS, MEd For the past 13 years, Sarah Meyer Tapia, PhD, has worked at Stanford University supporting the well-being of faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Tapia teaches classes and workshops related to stress management, behavior change, self-compassion, and personal development. She also leads a free online mindfulness meditation for the public three times per week. "I've been teaching wellness for decades and I'm really grateful for the work I get to do at Stanford," says Dr. Tapia,...