You’ve probably had the same lackluster morning routine for years: Wash your face. Brush your teeth. Take
When Susan Weis-Bohlen came across the Ayurvedic cleansing technique of panchakarma, she could not have imagined how the wisdom of Ayurveda would take shape in her life. What began as the release of damaging toxins and personal difficulties eventually grew into an impassioned vocation to guide others in their journeys towards a healthier state of mind, body, and spirit. Ayurveda is a profound science with wisdom spanning so wide that it can be difficult to know exactly where to begin. As an Ayurvedic consultant, Weis-Bohlen helps those who are new to Ayurveda address this exact issue. In Ayurveda Beginners Guide […]
Catnip is an herb that’s not just for cats any longer. In fact, it has a long history of use in folk medicine and some interesting health properties for humans. Native to Europe, Asia and Africa, catnip was brought to the U.S. by early settlers. In traditional medicine, it is used for its sedative and calming properties. It is also widely studied for use as an insect repellant or insecticide. It is often found in tea or as a tincture. Though it drives cats crazy, there are some interesting potential uses as well as warnings and considerations for its use […]
When I was a teenager, my mom and I would make atchara together. Atchara is a sweet-and-sour pickle made with green, unripe papayas and other vegetables. My mom would make florets out of a few carrots because they added beauty and color to the pickle. Eaten with grilled pork or fried fish, it’s considered a national dish of the Philippines. In America, I eat it with BBQ, grilled meat, and smoked fish. Papayas contain papain, an enzyme that helps break down proteins. This is why I sometimes use green papaya as a meat tenderizer. (There is less papain in ripe […]
The mind-gut connection: What is it and how did it evolve? Chances are, at some point in your life, you’ve noticed the connection between your brain and your gut. If you’ve ever felt queasy as you walked into an uncomfortable situation or based a life decision on a “gut feeling,” then you know that sometime our bodies react faster than our minds. Digestion and emotion have long been treated separately in medicine and science, like dots far apart on a map. Despite the phrase “gut feeling” that implicitly connects the belly and the brain, the reality is that gut physiology, […]
You can’t be active or workout without the right fuel for your body. The food you eat makes a huge difference in athletic performance and also for a quick stop at the gym. Foods that contain energy in the form of carbohydrates and protein in addition to certain vitamins, antioxidants and stimulants known to boost performance top the list of 50 foods for physical activity. Here they are: 1. Almonds The key to using almonds to fuel activity lies not only in their caloric density – a useful combination of healthy unsaturated fat, protein and carbohydrates – but also in […]
Stress comes in so many forms and affects the body in different ways. There’s emotional stress, schedule or time-related stress, work or school related pressure, and even stress on the body from environmental toxins or other damage. A lot of this is unavoidable – it’s part of daily life – and the body has ways to adapt to it but if stress builds up, it can lead to disease, inflammation and unbalanced hormones. There are ways to help the body naturally adapt to stress in all forms and the powerful herb lemon balm has been used for centuries for this […]
Foods fuel the body in so many ways and that includes fertility – for both men and women. Even if fertility isn’t top on your priority list currently, keeping these reproductive systems healthy is still important. Foods that contain energy and certain vitamins, minerals and antioxidants have been proven to be especially important for optimizing health and reproductive systems in both men and women, which is why these foods top the list of 50 foods critical for fertility. 1. Amaranth Technically a ‘pseudocereal,’ this ancient grain is making a comeback in modern-day cuisine and it offers fertility support as […]
I have been very fortunate to visit a number of wonderful spas including The Golden Door in Southern California, Sanoviv in Ensenada, Mexico (a medical spa), and others. Each offers an experience in healthy pampering and wellness. Recently, I spent six days at Viva Mayr in the magnificent Austrian Alps. The philosophy of this world-renowned med-spa combines modern complementary medicine with traditional diagnostics and therapies according to the practices of Dr. Franz X. Mayr (1875-1965), an Austrian physician. Through his medical practice, he observed that health was determined by an effective digestive system. Food can either keep us healthy or […]
On those days when you are procrastinating by doing things like alphabetizing your spice rack, I’ll bet almost anything that you don’t have (and have probably never heard of, much less used) an herb called, fenugreek. Sometimes known as “Greek hay,” fenugreek is actually a member of the pea family. It’s grown mostly in the Mediterranean, North Africa, the Middle East and India. Its seeds and leaves have been used all around the world for hundreds, if not thousands of years for medicinal purposes. Both are also dried and ground for use as recipe ingredients for cooking. Fenugreek’s flavor is […]