Health and Wellness Blogs
Control Your Seasonal Allergies Naturally
After a long winter, the budding of trees and spring flowers is a greatly anticipated time of year for many people. However, for allergy sufferers, it can be an unwelcome time when sneezing, runny nose, and itchy eyes prevail. Being proactive with your health during allergy season can help prevent most symptoms and make springtime a time to be outdoors planting your garden and enjoying some war...
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Does Technology Make You More Forgetful?
I don't know about you, but I've found that over dependence on technology tends to make me forgetful. I don't have to remember things because I've entered them into my iPhone or my computer, but the more I rely on my technology to tell me what I've got scheduled for the day, the more at risk I find myself when I accidentally delete appointments or enter them on the wrong d...
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Triumph Over Your Problems and Fears
"I had always worked with the temperamental conviction that at bottom there are no insoluble problems, and experience justified me in so far as I have often seen patients simply outgrow a problem that had destroyed others. This 'outgrowing,' as I formerly called it, proved on further investigation to be a new level of consciousness. Some higher or wider interest appeared on the pati...
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Beware of Misleading Food Labels
Food manufacturers are clever. They try to make us think that processed food is just as healthy as unprocessed food, or that a product containing high fructose corn syrup is "All Natural." A green checkmark label called "Smart Choices" recently appeared on hundreds of food packages, including cereals such as Cocoa Krispies and Froot Loops, sodium-filled complete-meal packages, ...
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Is That 'Pink Slime' in Your Burger?
Have you heard about "pink slime" in ground beef? It's the term affectionately used by meat industry insiders that refers to a pinkish paste made of meat scraps from the slaughterhouse floor. These scraps were once only used for pet food and cooking oil, but now, a company called Beef Products, Inc. created a process to collect the meat scraps, send them through a series of machines...
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Omega-3 and Omega-6 Balance Inflammation
Omega-3 and Omega-6 are two very important substances that play an important role in the inflammatory process in the body.Researchers know through tests like the CRP (C-reactive protein) that prolonged arterial inflammation is a precursor to atherosclerosis, Lupus, asthma, multiple sclerosis, Rheumatoid arthritis, and in many types of cancers. Left untreated these inflammatory conditions c...
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Lemon Essential Oil
LEMON: Citrus limon Lemon oil has antiseptic-like properties and contains compounds that have been studied for their effects on immune function. Also, lemon oil may serve as an insect repellent and may be beneficial for the skin. CAUTION: Citrus oils should NOT be applied to skin that will be exposed to direct sunlight or ultraviolet light within 72 hours. I've collected some healthy uses...
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Research the Products You Choose to Take
Does anyone else love getting those invitations on your doorstep from one various product to another? Two hours of your time wasted on products that carry little if any credibility. I never sign on the dotted line. I always decline and look further. And most of the time, I find a whole different story than the one they are talking about to accompany that product. While everything has a place, pl...
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Peppermint Essential Oil
PEPPERMINT: Mentha piperita A plant of many virtues! I think you will quickly find that peppermint has its place in the lives of us all. This is one of the oldest and most highly-regarded herbs for soothing digestion. Jean Valnet, M.D., studied peppermint's effect on the liver and respiratory systems. Other scientists have also researched peppermint's role in affecting impaired taste...
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Getting Picky Eaters to Eat Healthier: Baby Steps
My little boy will devour just about anything you put in front of him.My husband and my little girl are not that way. Put something in front of them, and they will look at it, pick it up on their fork, take the tiniest of bites, allow it to swirl in their mouths before swallowing, then wait to see if there is any nasty aftertaste. By that point and time it usually tastes pretty disgusting ...
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What Are Essential Oils?
There are a wide variety of essential oils. They have remarkable qualities that enhance health, beauty, and well-being. Essential oils are not to be confused with fragrant oils, which are combinations of synthetically manufactured chemicals designed to "mimic" the aroma of natural materials. Essential oils are distilled from plant material using water, steam, or both. The process invo...
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Aromatherapy
For many years now, we have enjoyed the benefits of easy access to essential oils—the pure essence and beneficial elements from botanicals around the world.Some essential oils have internal applications while others are strictly for topical use. Many essential oils smell so nice we infuse our environments with them. While their perfume can be enjoyed on its own, we also benefit from them m...
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What Is a Castor Oil Pack?
The uses for castor oil packs for both injuries and ailments are wide and varied.The standard castor oil pack, recommended by Edgar Cayce, consists of Palma Christi castor oil soaked into several layers of white wool flannel (cotton flannel is also used with excellent results) and applied to the area in need of healing.How to Make a Castor Oil Pack Place flannel in an ena...
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Do Environmental Toxins Affect Us More Than We Think?
I recently read an article from author Mary Roberts Smith—entitled "What About Vitamins, Do We Really Need Them?" (2009, Activz). The article said that even if we try to live a healthy lifestyle and eat nothing but organic foods, we will still require a whole food supplement to combat the huge amount of toxins that we are bombarded with on a daily basis. She quoted two different studies...
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What Makes Castor Oil Therapeutic?
What makes castor oil therapeutic? Actually, this blog could have been more accurately titled: "What makes the results of the treatment with a castor oil pack so therapeutic?" But that would have been just too long! So what are the constituents of Palma Christi castor oil that make this oil so therapeutic? The Answer Is:89.5% of the oil is composed of ricinoleic acid, and3% i...
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Are You Really Getting the Whole C?
Ascorbic acid is in everything. It's largely known as vitamin C. And it's in everything we eat from the cereals we consume to the juices we drink. Vitamin C is largely known as an immune booster. It's also important in the growth and repair of tissue cells and in the aid of iron absorption. So how upset would you be if you realized that you were only getting 1/8 of your vitamin C ...
Read more...Tips for Successful Resolutions
It’s 2009. A new year. A time for some changes? When I was younger, I believed in making New Year’s resolutions. Since the calendar denoted a new year, I figured it was the perfect time to renew myself. So I set goals such as being more active, eating less chocolate, or getting more organized. Still, my resolutions always failed. I was never ready to make those changes because I was letting the ca...
Read more...Stressed Out?
There’s never enough time. I have so much to do. Where did all the time go? Try as I might to make the most of each day, I still feel like there’s never enough time. Do you feel like this sometimes? Or all the time? In this day and age, we make so many excuses for ourselves. We trick ourselves into thinking it’s okay to feel stressed, to be so tightly wound that we snap at our loved ones, to run o...
Read more...Laugh More, You’ll Love It! Part 2
Picture this television scene: A svelte, curious woman sits in a romantic restaurant with a boyish yet handsome man across from her. She looks at him with interest, reciprocation occurs, and conversation follows. A joke is said from the lady about how they happened to path crosses, and the man lets out the most obnoxious, snort-filled laugh imaginable. You can tell she is not impressed, so to be s...
Read more...Laugh More, You’ll Love it! Part 1
I just finished watching the entire collection (six seasons) of Third Rock from the Sun, a television sitcom where aliens visit Earth, pose as humans, and learn about us. What is so great about this show is the humor. The jokes are well thought out and clever, but most of all it is a visual, charismatic type of humor that grabs hold and keeps you smiling long after the jokes been played out. After...
Read more...BPA Ban in Canada, America Follows Suit
The wheels are in motion. The United States is taking a stand against bisphenol-A (BPA).Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York recently introduced a bill to ban BPA in all children’s products and any containers that come in contact with food or drink. Maryland, California and eight other states are considering BPA regulations. A recent U.S. study has also revealed that BPA has potential to interfe...
Read more...Plastic, Plastic, Plastic—What Are We to Do With You?
With Mother’s Day approaching fast, I went in search of the perfect present. During the course of my shopping, while I was in a kitchenware store, I was offered a free cappuccino sample. Being a coffee drinker, I welcomed the offer, only to find my hot beverage being served in a plastic cup! Plastic and heat do not mix. I would never microwave food in plastic containers. Microwaving with plastics ...
Read more...Bye Bye BPA
No question about it: BPA remains a hot topic in health circles. It now appears the Canadian government will take the lead in the banning of bisphenol A, a chemical that mimics estrogen and increases the risk of impaired neurological development in children. "It's funny," a friend of mine remarked, "how our parents' generation and ours have grown up consuming BPA and we al...
Read more...How Much Water Should We Drink?
A play on words from the old saying: Water, water everywhere, but how much should we drink? As a personal trainer, I know the benefits of water and frankly, most people don't drink enough. That's why we are constantly hearing about why water is so vital to a healthy lifestyle. Although the old adage of drinking eight glasses a day is sometimes discredited, water is still essential for a ...
Read more...Staying Hydrated
If your urine goes from a concentrated, somewhat dark yellow color in the morning to a pale yellow color by the end of the day, chances are you are doing a good job with staying hydrated. While researchers at the University of Pennsylvania (Goldfarb and Negoianu) found that water may not be as important as we make it out to be (see my blog, "How Much Water Should We Drink?"), it doesn�...
Read more...Thoughts on Water: The Body’s Largest Organ (Skin!)
If you have dry, cracked skin, it is likely that you are dehydrated on the inside (or you may be lacking certain vitamins—or both). Our nails, skin and hair are reflections of how healthy we are on the inside. My clients tell me they notice a difference in their skin when they eat better and stay hydrated. Erin
Read more...Thoughts on Water: Weight Management
Water is essential for managing weight. Hear me out on this one. To maintain healthy bowels, making 1–3 trips to the bathroom a day is imperative. Also, the transit time of your bowels is important to consider. The amount of time from When food enters your mouth to when it leaves should take no longer than 24 hours. The average transit time is 2–4 days! If constipation is the issue, the bowels cou...
Read more...Thoughts on Water: Migraines
There are many causes of headaches: • Poor posture• Staring at a computer for too long• Dehydration• Low blood sugar• Muscle tension• Stress In my experience, dehydration is the number one cause of headaches. I have helped many individuals prevent frequent headaches just by encouraging them to stay hydrated. If you're suffering from migraines and still drinking lots of water, you might want t...
Read more...Thoughts on Water: Toxicity
The human body eliminates excess water and electrolytes including sodium, chloride, and potassium through urination. This simple process helps our bodies to maintain homeostasis—a healthy internal chemical balance. If people do not drink enough water for their own needs, there will be a buildup of electrolytes in the body. Although electrolytes aren't exactly "toxins," too many can ...
Read more...The Dangers of BPA
Nalgene and many other water bottles contain bisphenol A, or BPA. So what is so dangerous about BPA?BPA can mimic the sex hormone estrogen. The body can't tell the difference between BPA and estrogen produced naturally, and both can activate the same receptors. To make matters worse, high estrogen levels in the body can lead to cancer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released a...
Read more...Water May Be Great—But the Bottle Ain’t!
When I was a university student, I never left home without my trusty yellow Nalgene water bottle. I carried it everywhere, whether I was going to the gym or to the movies, its golden plastic clipped to the outside of my backpack, bumping against my back, full of that elixir of life: good ol' H20. One day when I was back home, my mother commented on my well-used and well-worn plastic water can...
Read more...Low Carb the Downfall of Krispy Kreme?
I was recently on an elevator that had a TV screen broadcasting the daily news and goings on in the world. One story that caught my eye was that Krispy Kreme donuts were blaming the low-carb diet fad on it slumping sales over the past few years. Here's my question: on what diet are donuts included?Were these people not eating at Krispy Kreme because of the high carb count? I bet if donuts h...
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