April 7, 2025

How Does Anger Affect the Body?

We’ve all heard the adage: don’t go to bed angry. We want to add to this sage advice: try to avoid excessive anger, in general. Why? Anger could reduce your lifespan. In fact, a new study published by the American Heart Association found that even brief flashes of anger can potentially increase your risk for heart attack and stroke. Of course, acknowledging that your feelings are valid is important. Furthermore, it’s human nature (and healthy, even) to experience a wide range of emotions, including anger. However, if you find yourself getting hot under the collar on a regular basis, it might be time for […]
March 2, 2025

Six Steps to a Healthier Diet

Big changes start with small steps! With so many ways to feel, look, and live better, it’s easy to get caught up in extreme resolutions that just don’t stick. “People easily become discouraged when they set big goals because they are too overwhelming,” says Sarah Zangerle, RD, from Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Comprehensive Weight Loss Center. The key? Baby steps. Try these six simple diet changes—one every two months—for a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Because real progress happens one step at a time! 1. Go meatless once a week The average American eats half a pound of […]
February 27, 2025

What is Reishi?

Reishi mushrooms (Ganoderma lucidum) have been utilized in Chinese folk medicine to promote health and longevity.1 They are so revered in traditional Chinese medicine for their health benefits that they have been referred to as the “mushroom of immortality.”1  More recently, modern research has validated that reishi contains key health-promoting components that boost immune function, reduce inflammation, and stop the growth of cancer cells.1 And animal research has shown its potential to increase lifespan.2,3 Immune-Boosting Properties A strong immune system is a key factor necessary for a longer, healthier life. Unfortunately, immune systems decline with age.4  Preclinical5-7 and clinical8-11 research has validated reishi’s ability to modulate immune function. […]
February 19, 2025

How to Live to 100: Check Your Blood

“I am going to live forever!” you exclaim as you dip into your expensive anti-aging cream, sip your green tea and unroll your yoga mat. You’re on the right track, but research has more good news for you. A new study published in GeroScience that followed a Swedish population-based cohort up to 35 years has linked specific blood biomarkers to longer lifespans. In fact, some of these individuals are even hitting the triple digits! This research identified 10 different biomarkers that indicated exceptional longevity, zoning in on biomarkers that indicate metabolism and nutritional status, as well as kidney and liver function. While those […]
January 27, 2025

Heart Disease: The Silent Threat to Women’s Health

At a recent Heart Health Fair at Kalispell Regional Medical Center, Dr. Thomas Amidon delivered a startling truth: heart disease remains the leading cause of death among women, surpassing all forms of cancer combined. Despite advancements in medical research and treatment, the misconception that heart disease is a “man’s disease” persists, often leading to delayed diagnosis and treatment for women. A Critical Gender Gap in Awareness and Treatment Dr. Amidon, who has a personal interest in women’s health—being surrounded by his wife, three daughters, three mares, and two female dogs—emphasized that the medical community has historically focused on men when […]
October 8, 2024

Vitamin B12 Deficiency Could Increase Risk of Infection

An article published in PLoS Genetics describes a study involving the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans (C. elegans) which uncovered a link between insufficient dietary intake of vitamin B12 and a greater risk of potentially lethal infections. Caenorhabditis elegans are similar to humans in their need to obtain vitamin B12 by dietary means. “We used C. elegans to study the effect of diet on a host and found that one kind of food was able to dramatically increase resistance to multiple stressors — like heat and free radicals — as well as to pathogens,” reported lead researcher Natasha Kirienko, who is an assistant professor of biosciences at […]
July 30, 2024

4 Perfect Health Tips You Should Try This Summer

Summer is here. Are you and your body prepared for it? As much as you may love your fun in the sun, the summer also “cooks up” its own range of health-related considerations. To help you get prepared, we’ve pulled together a list of summer-specific health tips that should get you and yours well-positioned for a happy and healthy season of sun. Try Natural Insect Repellents This Summer Nobody enjoys being bitten by mosquitoes and the longer you stay outside, the higher your chances of becoming a victim. If you’re like me, you’re a culinary delight for mosquitoes. I have […]
June 14, 2024

Ceramide Intake Reduces Appearance of Wrinkles

Make room on your beauty counter for ceramides. A clinical study has found that oral intake has been linked to reduced signs of aging—including wrinkles that are less deep, fewer fine lines and more moist, youthful skin. You’ve probably already heard of ceramides for skin in moisturizers—these lipids are naturally occurring in skin, but levels decline with age. Adding ceramides as part of an anti-aging routine has been a go-to for years; only more recently have the benefits of an oral ceramide come to light. Oral Ceramides Help Keep Skin Looking Youthful Ceramides in both topical and oral formulas come from grains, and help […]
June 1, 2024

The Broad-Spectrum Protection of Anthocyanins

Consumers hear a lot today about “healthy foods” that are shown to prevent disease. Missing from news broadcasts are details about how to benefit from specific plant components that published studies document help protect against degenerative disorders. In seeking to clarify their knowledge base, scientists are focusing a lot of research on compounds known as anthocyanins, which provide berries and other plants with their rich deep red and purple colors and have been proven to combat multiple pathways of disease. In this report, we provide you with research findings about various anthocyanin-rich plants and how you can access their disease […]