Category Archives: Food for thought

B Vitamins Improve Cognitive Function in Subjects with Elevated Homocysteine:

A clinical trial recently published in June 2014 reports that B vitamin intake improves cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly individuals with elevated homocysteine levels. Homocysteine is an amino acid made by the body from methionine. Elevated levels are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Read More

How to Activate the Missing Link to Lasting Weight Loss:

If the liver is the body’s filter, the lymphatic channels are its drainage system. Most of us are familiar with the cardiovascular system and its role in our well-being, but the lymphatic system needs to get a better press agent! Despite the crucial importance of this system to our health—and notwithstanding its central role in weight gain—many of us have barely heard of it. Read More

Adrenal Exhaustion: A Uniquely Modern Epidemic

Could It Be Adrenal Fatigue? Did you know that two tiny glands, no bigger than a grape are responsible for your energy levels, your endurance and your vitality? You cannot live without your adrenal hormones and how well you live depends a great deal on how well your adrenal glands function. Adrenal fatigue is something affecting a great number of my clients as well as the ones closest to me, something that is often misdiagnosed and overlooked.

Among the most common modern-day afflictions is known as adrenal exhaustion.  Living in these days of uncertainty and overwhelm causes much stress, which is not easy on the adrenal glands. When the adrenals are tired the body may experience a number of different symptoms. Adrenal stress, dysregulation, and exhaustion can leave you feeling completely worn out and depleted and can greatly interfere with normal sleep patterns.  The symptoms of low adrenal function are varied, depending upon severity and individual factors.  They commonly include:

Read More

DID YOU KNOW?

• Castoreum is an orange-brown substance used in vanilla and raspberry flavoring. It is made from the anal gland secretions of beavers.
• Top three leading causes of death for men of all ages? Heart disease, cancer and accidents.
• A study published in the Journals of Gerontology found that people with the fewest wrinkles had lower blood pressure and lower risk of heart disease.
• 70 percent of cancers in men are prostate and colon cancers.
• Choose the first stall in a public bathroom! A study of 51 public restrooms found that the first stall had the lowest bacteria levels.
• Black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial and antiseptic properties.
• According to a study from Preventive Medicine, men who pressed an acupuncture point located between their index finger, thumb and center of the palm whenever they had a nicotine craving smoked 25 percent fewer cigarettes than men who used other distraction methods.
• People with sleep apnea are nearly twice as likely to develop glaucoma.
• A study published in 2008 in Metabolism found that adding strawberries to your diet can lower oxidation and improve blood lipid levels.
• The human nose can detect more than one trillion unique smells. Yes, trillion.
• The average person has nearly 70,000 thoughts per day.
• Only 14 percent of your weight consists of bone.
• 25 percent of all your bones are located in your feet.
• The average person sleeps 122 days of the 365 in the year.
• It takes the interaction of 72 muscles to produce human speech.
• The moon-shaped white part of the fingernail is called the lunula.
• A person under the age of 30 takes in twice the amount of oxygen as someone over the age of 80.
• It takes the body two hours to digest a carb-heavy meal, but six hours to digest a high-fat one.
• Laughing and coughing exert more pressure on the spine than standing or walking.

Happy Monday to all my Wellness Warriors!

I’ve been stepping up my personal coconut oil game, as well as the rest of my family’s consumption efforts.  With my quest for more knowledge about this wonderful substance, most of you know I am a little “coo-coo for coconuts,” which I use for seemingly everything; I have found some interested evidence.  In fact, I’ve stumbled across some VERY interesting studies on the relationship between coconut oil (or any type of coconut fat, including coconut milk and cream) and body fat, specifically.  Read More