November 16, 2024

Immunizations: What You Need To Know Now

Colder weather and holiday celebrations accompany cold and flu season and the need to discuss immunizations and staying healthy. This year, three vaccinations are in the spotlight: RSV, the COVID-19 updated vaccine, and the flu shot. While the most important conversation is between you and your healthcare provider so that they can provide personalized recommendations, it can be helpful to be armed with more information about what these immunizations are and how they work.  There are a lot of questions surrounding seasonal vaccines so let’s break down the facts on what they are, what they protect against, when to get […]
November 16, 2024

Dealing with Grief and the Myth of Closure

Pauline Boss, PhD, is an expert on loss and grief. In the 1970s she coined the term “ambiguous loss” in the course of researching the grief suffered by people whose loved ones are missing but not declared dead. She has published 8 books that have been translated into 17 languages and she has been a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School and the University of Southern California. Her new book, The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, was written to help us all deal with the losses we’ve suffered during the COVID-19 pandemic and […]
November 5, 2024

6 Tips for Celebrating a Green Thanksgiving

Turkey: Fifty years ago, Americans did not eat the over engineered bird that we consume today. We dine on heritage turkeys. Firmer, richer, juicier, and more flavorful–for these birds, gravy serves no purpose. Find your turkey at www.orangicprairie.com Use their convenient drop down menu to choose your state and view their selection of turkey farms. Pick your bird after browsing photos and prices. Be sure to start your turkey search well ahead of time. A heritage turkey will cost more, but resources are saved when you’re not cooking the turkey overnight or soaking it in brine. Knowing your bird wasn’t […]
October 23, 2024

Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad And The “Ugly”

I know it’s also the title of a 60’s “spaghetti Western” movie, but when it comes to your cholesterol, heart researchers have actually classified cholesterol as these 3 types.  Unlike the movie though, where the “Ugly” Tuco Ramirez (Eli Wallach) was only a fictitious character, ugly cholesterol is a real-life killer.  It not only causes heart disease but ups your risk for a sudden heart attack.  Let me explain what you can do about this dangerous type of cholesterol. What Is Ugly Cholesterol? You likely already know that having high cholesterol is not good for your heart or your arteries.  Your doctor may have […]
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 […]
October 8, 2024

5 Ways Mushrooms Support Your Health

Did you know that many mushrooms — some that you can find in the grocery store and others that come in medicinal/capsule form — can support your health in many ways? Mushrooms are often used for their well-known benefits to the immune system or for their anti-cancer effects but there’s emerging research about the power they hold for reducing risk or being part of the treatment plan for chronic diseases like cardiovascular problems, blood sugar balance, liver protection, brain health, and even as a treatment for allergies. Learn more about the incredible power that mushrooms have and how you might […]
October 8, 2024

Celiac Disease Incidence Higher Than Once Thought

For most celiac patients, treatment on the gluten-free diet marks the turning point for their health. It can take a few months for the villi of the small intestine to heal, but eventually their symptoms are alleviated and they are able to absorb the nutrients in their food. Unfortunately, there is a percentage of celiacs who don’t respond to the gluten-free diet, which is the only current treatment for the disease, resulting in a condition known as refractory celiac disease, also known as nonresponsive celiac disease (NRCD). Although celiac experts have stated that actual refractory celiac disease, whereby damage to […]
October 7, 2024

Cheers to the Top 50 Foods for Happiness

Did you know that food can actually play a role in your mood and happiness levels? So many people live with restricting many foods or feelings of guilt or shame surrounding eating. Others may not get the nutrition they need to fuel the pleasure centers in the brain (think serotonin production), keeping mood stable. The brain uses a full 20% of the calories you take in so fueling it is absolutely critical. Foods that contain compounds like zinc, selenium, B6 and B12, magnesium, omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants have proven links to brain health and even mood, which is […]
September 24, 2024

Prescription Pain Meds: Here’s What You Need to Know

September marks Pain Awareness Month, a time to shed light on the challenges of people living with pain and the various ways to manage it. While nutrition, lifestyle changes, and natural remedies play vital roles in pain management by reducing inflammation, prescription pain medications are sometimes also a necessary component for those dealing with chronic or severe pain. If you’re considering or currently using these medications, it’s essential to understand how they work, their benefits, and potential side effects so that you can have meaningful conversations with your medical team about how your pain is managed. Overview Prescription pain medications, […]