From Oaxaca to ¶¶Òõh: Chef Gabriel Balderas cooks with intention BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD 3 hrs ago Walk into one of Chef Gabriel Balderas’ restaurants and everything feels natural, almost effortless.
Nearly two out of three kids regularly consume caffeine. See the national data. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 20, 2026 Between August 2021 and August 2023, 62.6% of youth consumed caffeine on a given day.
+5 At a Metairie YMCA, some exercise, good music and conversation set a healthy example By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 19, 2026 Three mornings a week, eight exercisers lay out black yoga mats in a circle in a mirrored exercise room at the YMCA in Metairie. They place long-backed chairs at their individual setups along …
+10 ¶¶Òõh wants a bigger role in cancer drug trials. This patient is doing her part to help. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 16, 2026 Victoria Autin started college, determined to become a veterinarian.
Erythritol: what the research really says BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD Aug 16, 2026 The evidence linking excess added sugar to negative health effects is extensive, spanning far beyond weight and blood sugar. A consistently high intake is linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes, f…
+4 When kids can’t sleep, parents from all over seek advice from this New Orleans expert By MATT HAINES | Contributing writer Aug 15, 2026 Dr. Nilong Vyas is a pediatric sleep consultant in Gretna who has patients in ¶¶Òõh and around the world. She received her medical degree from LSU, a master’s of public health from Tulane …
Twin birth rates are down in the U.S., but ¶¶Òõh saw a recent rise. Here’s the data. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 14, 2026 The twin birth rate, or twin births per 1,000 total births, rose nearly 80% from 1980 to 2014, then began a steady decline into the last decade.
+9 At this Baton Rouge hospital, magnets are doing the job that stitches and staples used to do By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 14, 2026 First doctors sewed organs together. Then, they stapled. Now, they're using magnets.Â
+6 ‘Manpower behind words’: Meet some of the people working to improve East Carroll’s health By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 9, 2026 LAKE PROVIDENCE — At 10 a.m. in late July, it's already 95 degrees and sunny outside. But the line to the food distribution awning is still going, and Theresa Sammons is still waiting to pass …
Interactive: Comparing East Carroll Parish’s health data to the rest of ¶¶Òõh and U.S. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 9, 2026 East Carroll Parish has long been ranked near the bottom of ¶¶Òõh's rankings for health outcomes including health risk behaviors, prevention practices, social needs and disabilities. Â
This nutrition expert is on a mission to spread healthy eating habits in East Carroll Parish By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 9, 2026 Cathy Agan grew up next to East Carroll Parish.
+6 ‘Everybody can’t leave’: East Carroll Parish’s health lags behind, but community finds hope By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Aug 9, 2026 LAKE PROVIDENCE — Wanda Manning, 62, is the oldest child of nine. Manning's mother came from a large family, so did her father. There were always people around in East Carroll, in her house an…
+2 Energy drinks: what to know before reaching for one BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD Aug 9, 2026 Walk into almost any grocery store, convenience store or gym these days, and you’ll find an entire cooler devoted to energy drinks. The category has exploded, with options promising everything…
+12 How this New Orleans prosthetics expert helps VA patients find the right fit BY RACHEL MIPRO | Contributing writer Aug 2, 2026 Blake Robichaux, a certified VA orthotist prosthetist, has seen a lot of veterans over the years. He talks about the advances in prosthetic limbs, including personal stylings. (American flag d…
Lymphatic drainage is trending: Here’s what it actually does BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD Aug 2, 2026 Lymphatic drainage has been getting a lot of attention lately.
Doctor Says: Here’s what to watch out for in extreme heat, even if you’re ‘used to it’ BY DR. OLIVIA RAGUSA | Contributing writer Aug 1, 2026 This is a column in a series from Dr. Olivia Ragusa, a primary care physician at Baton Rouge General, sharing insight on a variety of health topics for patients of all ages, including preventi…
+4 This New Orleans surgeon has spent decades fixing kids’ hearts: ‘I’m nowhere near finished.’ By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 31, 2026 Dr. Benjamin Peeler has learned a lot during his career, especially from other doctors.
¶¶Òõh ranks 3rd-highest for food insecure adults. See how other states compare. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 30, 2026 In 2024, over 18 million U.S. households reported being food insecure at some time during the year.Â
+4 Remember P.E.? In ¶¶Òõh, it’s due for a strong comeback, with new guidelines. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 26, 2026 Tevin Moton takes training seriously. Every morning he has a group doing something new.
Ultra-processed foods: why they’re so hard to resist BY MOLLY KIMBALL - RD, CSSD Jul 26, 2026 Ultra-processed foods have been a hot topic in wellness conversations, and for good reason. Research continues to link diets high in these foods with anxiety and inflammation, obesity, Type 2 …
+4 Advancing care, improving lives: The impact of research at Ochsner Baton Rouge BY AMANDA MCELFRESH | BRANDED CONTENT SPECIALIST Jul 26, 2026 Each day, physicians are working to answer some of medicine’s biggest questions: Can a new therapy help patients recover more quickly? Can it reduce debilitating symptoms? Can it prevent injur…
+2 Free men's health clinic, summer toy drive and more Louisian health news By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 25, 2026 Health Notes is an occasional listing of health happenings around ¶¶Òõh. Have something you'd like to share? Contact us at margaret.delaney@theadvocate.com.
Summer traveling with kids? The doctor sympathizes and shares this advice. BY SCOTT HAMILTON | Contributing writer Jul 24, 2026 Oschner peiatrics
U.S. death rate falls to pre-pandemic levels, but Louisian’s rate is higher. See the data. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 23, 2026 The U.S. death rate fell 4.6% last year, a return to a trend before COVID-19.
+2 Can poor sleep cause TMJ? ‘They go hand in hand,’ ¶¶Òõh doctors say. By MATTHEW HAINES | Contributing Writer Jul 22, 2026 The potential damage from poor sleep has become increasingly known — it has been linked to dementia, heart disease and more. The causes of these sleep issues are often attributed to boogeymen …
How treating kids’ traumatic brain injuries guides this New Orleans surgeon’s research By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 21, 2026 Dr. Jerome Volk, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Ochsner Health and native of the New Orleans suburbs, spends his days in the operating room, with many of his cases coming directly from the emerge…
+3 Peptides promise more than weight loss. Researchers are still deciding if they deliver. BY IAN FAUL | Contributing writer Jul 19, 2026 Spend enough time in wellness circles, biohacking forums or men's health clinics, and peptides begin to sound less like a class of molecules and more like the new language of the healthy.
Only 6 Louisian parishes have lung cancer rates below the U.S. average. See the data. By MARGARET DELANEY | Staff writer Jul 19, 2026 In ¶¶Òõh, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in both men and women.Â