Resources, Articles and Blog

Are you, or someone you know, one of the 50% of people who suffer from insomnia and inadequate sleep? Yep. I thought so. Then you’ll want to read this (or share it with them). You cannot underestimate the importance of sleep. Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do for your mental and physical health. Lack of sleep is a contributing factor in most major illnesses and proper sleep can help in curing and preventing them. Make it a priority starting tonight. You’re w

COVID-19 is a virus, so you’ll need a strong immune system to fight it off and prevent it from taking hold. It also produces a high level of inflammation that can have some very dangerous effects on your body. For that, you’ll need anti-inflammatory support. Now how do we accomplish all that? Here are the key points: Self Care: Be active every day. Sleep 7-9 hours. Drink water. Reduce stress. Don’t smoke. Eat Good Food: Everything you put in your mouth can be seen as helpful

To make an informed decision, the first question we need to answer is, “How recent was the injury?” If the injury occurred in the last 72 hours then your answer would be ice. Once the injury is more than 3 days old you may be better off either with heat or alternating ice and heat (5 minutes of each for a total of 30 minutes). If the injury was months, or the symptoms have been with you a long time, then the answer would be heat. If there is swelling than the answer is almost

How are those resolutions going? Here are some healthy rules to take with you on your journey through 2023. Follow them and make your year the healthiest yet! Drink 64 ounces of water each day. Add an extra glass of water for every caffeinated drink you have. Throw away all foods that contain hydrogenated oils (trans-fats) and food coloring. These are associated with cancer, pain, brain damage and hyperactivity. When shopping, you’ll find companies that make the same foods wi

As the year comes to an end, let’s make this holiday season the most balanced ever. Keeping the number 11 in mind this season will remind you to, 1.) Stay even and balanced, 2.) Focus on the ‘1’ to ‘1’ relationships, 3.) Take care of who and what is number ‘1’ for you. Be present in each moment to the one person or action you are engaged with. Give all of your attention and care to that moment. Nothing else is more important than right now. Be present to your needs. The momen

Irritable Bowel Disease New research has shown that a "probiotic" preparation containing the beneficial microbe Bifidobacterium infantis relieves symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, a common problem that usually involves cramping, diarrhea, abdominal pain and discomfort, bloating and constipation. Natural practitioners have always known this, but the researchers also noted that the symptom relief achieved with B. infantis was comparable to that seen with Zelnorm (tegaserod)

Parents are frequently surprised when I tell them that their children may need treatment for their backs. After all, back pain is an “adult disease.” Yet, two studies clearly show that back pain is far more common in children than we once thought. A recent study found that 14-year-olds with low back pain (LBP) were 40% more likely to experience LBP as adults than children who never experienced LBP. The adults experiencing LBP as children were also more likely to have been hos

Here’s my two cents on how, what and when to eat to improve your athletic performance. Our bodies burn fats and carbohydrates to produce energy. The production of energy from proteins is a slow process that mostly occurs in malnutrition states and with extreme endurance competitions. Excess protein intake puts a strain on your kidneys and liver and causes your body to urinate more, leading to dehydration. With this in mind it seems logical that eating fats and carbo’s is the

Are you ready for swim suit season? If not, it’s time to get started! This month, let’s take a look at sugars and carbohydrates. If you’re healthy (check with your doctor), a simple approach to carbs is to eat 130 grams per day. At least 30 grams of that are from fiber. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources of carbs to insure you get enough fiber. Be careful with the rest of your carb intake. Most American women should consume no more than 100 calories (about 25 grams, s

An allergy is an adverse immune system reaction to a substance that most people find harmless. Common allergic responses include headache, fatigue, sneezing, watery eyes and stuffy sinuses. A primary underlying cause of allergies is an impaired immune system which can be stressed from an overload of toxins (like pollution and chemicals in our foods) and an unhealthy intestine (50% of our immune system is in our gut). In order for true healing of allergies to occur, it is nece

“Spring Cleaning.” This adage is not only right for your house and yard, but for your body as well. The winter lifestyle is quiet, introspective and sedentary (a mild form of hibernation.) punctuated by parties and indulgence. As we drink less water and eat heavier foods, along with so many yummy seasonal sweets, our metabolism slows as we add a layer of fat for “insulation”. For so many, the winter makes us sluggish and fat! One age-old answer to this is a spring cleansing p

Your body relies on an uninterrupted flow of air. Without air you would die in minutes. Air is so important that we have a respiratory system within us that we never have to think about. Breathe in, breathe out. When we’re calm our breathing gets slower, deeper and quieter. When we’re stressed or exercising our breathing gets shallower, quicker and louder. We know that shallow breathing is inefficient, using more energy and exchanging less air. Inefficient breathing causes us

A Body’s Best Defense If we’re healthy, our bodies work around the clock fighting off any number of illnesses and diseases that we encounter everyday in our environment. Strengthening your immune system means focusing on preventing illness from taking hold in the first place. There are many ways to bolster your immune system, one of which you’re already doing: exercise. Exercise keeps the body strong and can apparently speed recovery from common colds. A recent study found th

When our body screams "Pain!" it's important to pay attention and take care of the cause. Often, we ignore the message, quieting it with pain killers. Think of how ridiculous it would be for your mechanic to tell you to "just turn up the radio" if you told him that your car's engine was making a funny noise! Active people sometimes think of their aches and pains as merely a nuisance, instead of taking them as indications of possible trouble. When your body gives you a very ob

The Mental Factor As number four in our series of the five (exercise, diet, sleep, attitude, and sound physical structure) factors of health, ATTITUDE plays perhaps the biggest role in determining our level of health. You’ve heard it before but it’s true. Business research shows that your attitude is the most important determinant of success. Health research on aging indicates that it profoundly affects the immune system. And sports research clearly documents that a positive

Many of us don’t realize just how much we eat. That is because the amount of food on your plate makes the choice for you and it doesn’t matter if you are a “clean your plate” eater or a “leave a little left over” eater. Some people who used to be satisfied by a 12-ounce can of soda may now feel that a 20-ounce bottle is just right. It's "unit bias," the tendency to think that a single unit of food — a bottle, a can, a plateful, or some more subtle measure — is the right amoun

Stressed? Depressed? Frustrated? Worried? Longing? All of these feelings are common in our lives. What do you do when they seem to last too long? What do you do when you just want to feel better or help another feel better? One method is “Honoring and Appreciation.” Take moments throughout your day to stop, check in with your surroundings and your body. Take stock of what you see, what you have and where you are. Choose one (at least) and say how and why you are grateful. For

I’m often asked about what to do for muscle cramps, so here is some information for you. Almost everyone experiences a muscle cramp at some time in their life. A cramp can last a few seconds to 15 minutes and then re-cramp multiple times before it finally stops. Some happen at rest (like those annoying ones in bed) and others are caused by exercise (sometimes starting hours after activity). In general, muscle cramps can be prevented by adequate nutrition and hydration, but so

So, you’re getting older, you’re not recovering as fast as you used to, and the thought of arthritis keeps popping into your consciousness. How nice it will be to enter your retirement years with the physical ability and energy to revel in your freedom. But, how do we keep our joints healthy as we age? It’s clear that you need to use it or lose it. Physical activity is critical for healthy joints and muscles. Even people with arthritis feel better with exercise. Activity buil

When it comes to musculoskeletal injuries, we often don't realize that the majority of pain comes from chemicals released during the injury and swelling (inflammation) process. Swelling builds up during the first 3 days and remains throughout the healing process (3-6 weeks). If the tissue isn't allowed to heal because of repeated stress, the swelling could last years, leading to arthritis. The swelling protects us by causing pain and restricting our movement, but it also dela