Black pepper is a household staple that is likely sitting on your kitchen counter right now. One of the most widely used and common spices in the world, it is a well-known flavor in many types of cooking. But it also has some medicinal and topical uses as well. The active compound, piperine, has shown promise for health benefits when eaten, and also when used as an essential oil. There is evidence that black pepper was used in kitchens dating back to 2000 BC in India. Reference to this spice also shows up in Greek and Roman texts. It has […]
Delicious Living caught up with Heather Baines, an Ayurveda practitioner at Roots of Wellness Ayurveda in Boulder, Colorado. She has been practicing and teaching Ayurveda for five years. We asked Heather to introduce us to the basics. Delicious Living: What is Ayurveda? Heather Baines: Ayurveda is one of the world’s oldest systems of medicine, and the word Ayurveda itself is the combination of two Sanskrit words: 1) Ayu, which is often simply interpreted as “life,” and 2) Veda, which means “knowledge.” Ayurveda is a time-tested system of medicine aimed at the totality of health—a healthy mind, a healthy body and […]
More of today’s modern beauty concepts and products are incorporating Ayurveda—a 5,000-year-old Indian medicinal system that combines yoga, diet, meditation and herbal remedies. “The focus of modern beauty regimens has shifted away from chemical-based therapies to natural, herbal-based treatments and almost every such therapy can trace its roots to Ayurveda,” says Sushrut Badhe, Ayurveda expert and executive manager of KVM Research Laboratories. As we seek holistic approaches to skin and hair care, mindfulness practices and ancient traditions are also making their way into our beauty regimens to clear not only our skin but also our minds. Some of these practices […]
You are what you eat and the foods you choose can affect all the body’s systems including the brain. Nutrients can boost memory and mental focus, but some foods can reduce it. When the brain is experiencing stress or inflammation, it isn’t as sharp. When it gets access to vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and healthy fat, it functions better. Foods rich in nutrients like antioxidant vitamins C, neuro-supportive B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids can sharpen memory and learning. Here is the ultimate FoodTrients® list of the top 50 foods to boost your memory: 1. Apples Antioxidants are generally good for […]
You can have all the strategies in the world to reach your health and fitness goals, but without two
Women of childbearing age need more education about the benefits of taking certain vitamins — even before they become pregnant — to prevent birth defects, according to a survey released last month by the March of Dimes. While 97 percent of women surveyed who have been or are currently pregnant reported taking prenatal vitamins or multivitamins during their current or last pregnancy, only 34 percent say they started taking the prenatal vitamin or multivitamin before they knew they were pregnant, the survey shows. That number drops to 27 percent for Hispanic women and to 10 percent for black women. The […]
You may have heard of biotin supplements for hair and nail growth. But does it work? And what is it anyway? This vitamin underdog is in fact a B vitamin – B7 – and is critical for other reasons lesser known but important to the body, hair growth aside. Why do we believe biotin creates silky locks? What else is it used for? Where do we find it? Read on to learn what you need to know about biotin. Medicinally, biotin is used for: · Treating biotin deficiency · Brittle nails · Diabetes · Peripheral neuropathy Biochemically in the human […]
Need help fighting diabetes? The good news is that diet plays a major role in positively affecting health outcomes with this disease. Think beyond the blood sugars when assessing dietary management of diabetes — fat, fiber, and nutrients play a role in diabetes, cardiovascular and kidney health. While November is American Diabetes Month, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) hopes Americans will rally all year long behind the fight to end diabetes. According to the ADA, there are currently over 38 million Americans with diabetes. Nearly 98 million people in the U.S. have prediabetes. In the last 20 years, the number […]
On an especially cold morning last winter, Nancy arrived for her minimum-wage job as a mail clerk
You may have seen ribose or D-ribose in the supplement section of exercise performance enhancers and for good reason. A building block of DNA and the sugar that begins the metabolic process for production of energy in the form of ATP, the major source of energy used by cells, ribose has some interesting research backing it. It is found in food and in supplements and while research is mixed, there may be a future for ribose in enhancing our lives. Orally, ribose supplements are used for: increased muscle function recovery and to boost muscle tissue energy for athletic performance chronic […]