Oh, self control! New Years Resolutions can be very difficult to keep, and many times they involve drastic changes and lots of money. There are many empty gyms with memberships paid for with the best intentions. The good news is that there are many resolutions that are cheap, easy to keep and come with technology that can improve your chances of success. Let’s start with the basics:1. Water: If you’re not drinking enough water you‘ll notice a multitude of health problems including headaches, low cognitive function, fatigue, constipation, dry skin and increased toxicity. Everyone needs a …
Although most of us will sleep more than 25 years in our lifetimes, much of that sleep will lack the essential ingredients for wonderful, rejuvenative rest. Sleep is critical for the body and the brain, and this week we’ll take a closer look on the importance of getting some shuteye.The brain goes through about five sleep cycles (90 minutes each) during a seven/eight hour sleep period. These are broken down into REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and Non-REM periods. During Non-REM periods we have lower brain activity, deeper sleep and muscle rejuvenation. During REM sleep we have increased brain …
Humans have been eating gluten, a protein found in wheat and other grains, for 10,000 years in agrarian societies and even longer in hunter-gatherer tribes that wild-harvested their grains. About 50 years ago gluten was identified as the culprit in Celiac disease, a disease associated with severe intestinal disturbances. It may sound like along time, but 10,000 years of eating wheat is a drop in the bucket when compared to how long human DNA has been on this planet. Processed wheat and grains tend to cause a lot of health problems due to their over-representation in the American menu. The …
If you walk into a sports store today, the number of running shoes for sale is overwhelming. Since its inception, the running shoe has evolved and the technology has improved to the point where many running stores are now able to video analyze how you run and recommend the perfect running shoe, based on gait, pronation, and width of your foot. But it wasn't always this way. Old School As a matter of fact, before 1970, and the previous two million years or so, humans did not have the benefit of the heel-cushioned running shoe, the creation of which has caused us to completely change how we …
So, you decide you want to get healthy and smoothies seem like the obvious choice because they contain nutrients that are highly bio-available. All of the nutrients have been broken down and are all ready to be digested, no chewing needed. You stop by a local smoothie bar and order up a Power Smoothie that is going to increase energy and virility with an added immune booster and some wheat grass to boot. Unfortunately, you may not be getting the health benefits you thought you were getting or at least the benefits that were advertised. The men and women that market to American consumers know…
Salmon is good for you, right? Sure, but only if it’s wild. The fish in the ocean may even pick up a harmless amount of naturally-occurring mercury. But we're not talking about the fish in the ocean - we're talking about the fish you eat. Meet the Franken-Salmon Whether with cattle, chicken, pigs, or salmon, American companies are sticking to the formula of raising animals for mass consumption. How is it done? First, crowd as many of the species in one place as possible to maximize space. Second, feed them corn and soy along with other ingredients. Then, pump the species up with antibiotics …
Have you lost that pep in your step since the economy went south? The wallet feels lighter, you’re not sleeping well, energy levels are in the pits and the prospect of looking for a job seems to drop a bucket of anxiety on your head. These are all symptoms of the Recession Flu. Recession Flu is not caused by stress, and not by a bacteria or virus. Now, while it isn’t a legitimate disease, Recession flu is currently affecting millions of Americans and it comes with some serious side-effects. Over the past decade, “the most common problems that emerged following no-fault job loss were …
It gets frustrating when new studies declare a certain food healthy, and overnight is determined to give us cancer. How are we supposed to know what to do? This is a question I get on a daily basis. People are confused and frustrated by the seemingly contradictory nutritional information we receive from those in-the-know. In this article, I will give you some easy guidelines from which you may base your nutritional choosings. Cancer is not the #1 killer in the United States, cardiovascular disease is. This week, I'm focusing on foods that fight cancer for these two reasons: Cancer is …
Toxic chemicals are invading our collective and personal environments and are having a deleterious affect on the health of American families. Cancer-causing toxic chemicals are directly responsible for four percent of all cancer deaths and numerous other diseases affecting Americans. Americans in the 1960s were surrounded by 400 million pounds of pesticides. Sound like a lot? Well, Americans are now surrounded by over 4.5 billion pounds of pesticides. “Researchers at two major laboratories found an average of 200 [out of 413] industrial compounds, pollutants, and other chemicals” in chord …
Being tired or having low energy is one of the most common complaints I hear. There are many components that could be affecting your energy, your umph and your get up and go. In this column I will explore some of the major reasons why YOU may be tired. Remember, before you make any changes to your diet, consult with your primary care physician.Sleep It Off Let’s start out with the obvious. When you sleep; you restore, rejuvenate, slow down the aging process. When you don’t sleep, you fatigue, deplete and age. Generally, we need the eight hours that we've always heard about. It’s true - in a …
Imagine that you're walking through your local grocery store. Like all of us, you have a family and a budget and you want to get the most bang for your buck. Your job is to feed “the masses”, and you could easily spend money on “Real Foods” like vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, beans and meats that would mean hours of preparation for multiple meals for the upcoming week. But then reality sets in and we sacrifice health for pre-packaged, processed and instant foods that will not only save in prep time, but provide ample sustenance for hungry mouths. Stick to the Perimeter of the Supermarket "…
The myth that milk does a body good or is in any way a health food is officially crumbling (along with cheerios lowering cholesterol and Nutella being a part of a well balanced breakfast). Large-scale studies over the past few years such as The China Study and The Nurses Health Study contain strong evidence that milk is not the healthy beverage we have always thought, but it is quite possibly contributing to the very diseases it was supposed to prevent, such as osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease and cancers.Myth: Milk is necessary for bone health This tends to be the loudest of all …
