Posts

Go Red! Eat These 5 Foods for a Healthy Heart

February officially marks American Heart Month and red is the symbol of awareness. Heart disease and related complications (heart attacks and strokes) are leading causes of death worldwide killing about 600,000 people annually in the United…

Are You Drinking Smoothies or Sugar Bombs?

A while back I met with a longtime client who was extremely excited about her new hobby, making "healthy" smoothies. For the sake of privacy, I'll call her Karen. Over the course of my consulting with Karen, she'd successfully…

BMI Isn’t the Best Measure of Obesity or Health: So Why Are We Still Using It?

Wonder why you're getting on the scale at every single doctor's office visit? Whether for a routine medical exam or a general sick visit, your body weight is almost always one of the first things measured. This measurement is sure to be followed…

Lowering Cholesterol Naturally with Exercise

High cholesterol (also known as hypercholesterolemia) is a chronic health condition in which there's too much "bad" cholesterol and an abundance of triglycerides (fats from foods) floating around in the bloodstream. Although heredity and other…

Don’t Be Afraid To Skip Breakfast

"Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." This is an all-too-common phrase that I secretly dislike, as the supposed benefits of eating this traditional morning meal have been totally misconstrued by both health experts and enthusiasts. Skipping…

Top Down or Bottom Up: Things to Consider Before Getting a Colonic

As a scientist and health expert, I'm often asked about the benefits of regular "colon cleansing" for detoxification and general health purposes. Colon cleansing is basically an umbrella term that encompasses a number of different procedures…

Are Processed Meats Really Bad for Your Health?

Processed meats are among the most commonly consumed foods around the world. Interestingly enough, they are also among the latest dietary boogeymen, with linkages to cancer, heart disease, and even premature death. While some processed meats…

Effective Strategies for Avoiding Hypertension

Just over a year ago, my father suffered a stroke caused by unchecked hypertension. For years my siblings and I urged him to seek some form of therapeutic intervention in order to manage his high blood pressure, but to little avail. Over time,…

Garlic: Mother Nature’s Underground Pharmacy

For centuries, garlic has been used worldwide as a natural treatment for a range of chronic diseases and illnesses, as it has potent anti-bacterial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory effects. In fact, due to its powerful healing properties,…

Watcha Drinking? Let’s Talk About Green Tea

Tea is undoubtedly one of the most widely consumed beverages around the world. And among the hundreds of different kinds of tea that offer medicinal benefits, green tea is one of the most prized for its multitude of health-promoting qualities.…

A Great Way To Spice Up Your Water

Are you aware that water is valued as an essential nutrient? While not a provider of calories like the macronutrients or rich in antioxidants like many micronutrients, the body's actual need for water far outweighs that of any food. In…

What You Should Know About Carbs and the Glycemic Index

For decades, carbohydrates (carbs) have been given a bad reputation. Please don't be misled by all the hype. In and of themselves, carbs are an important component of a healthy, well-balanced diet as they represent the body's primary source…

Three Ways to Reduce Your Risk of a Heart Attack

In spite of what many believe, a heart attack is not necessarily a "natural cause" of death. It is usually the first symptom of an underlying problem like heart disease, which is a leading cause of death worldwide for men and women of all ages,…

Wheatgrass Juice: An All-Natural Blood Tonic that Boosts Immunity

If you've visited your local health food store lately, you've probably seen fresh wheatgrass juice being sold at the juice bar. Wheatgrass juice is prepared by extracting juice from the mature sprouts of wheat seeds by way of a cold press juicer.…

Natural Ways to Suppress Hunger and Appetite for Weight Loss

Constant hunger and increased appetite can sabotage weight loss and possibly even lead to weight gain. This holds especially true when you regularly give in to overeating. Now, it's important to understand that hunger and appetite are…

Simple and Natural Ways to Detox Your Body

I can't begin to tell you how often people ask me for advice and tips on "detox" diets or detoxification in general. But interestingly enough, to many the concept itself has no real meaning. Basic physiology teaches us that the body has…

Simple Strategies for Deciphering Food Labels

As a healthy lifestyle blogger, shopping at Costco is by far one of my favorite pastimes. Not only is it a great way for me to stock up on affordable whole foods for the family, but it’s also an opportune time for me to observe the general…

Understanding Cholesterol, Sodium and Potassium Values on Food Labels

You can find the cholesterol, sodium and potassium content of packaged products in the middle of the Nutrition Facts label. These values are always listed in milligrams (mg) and it's important to monitor your intake of each. Now, I must point…

The Unique Nutritional Benefits of Eating Green Bananas

Bananas are by far among the world's most popular fruit. But, most people only eat bananas when they ripen from green to yellow since they tend to become softer and considerably sweeter in taste. This is unfortunate as bananas have a unique…

Eating to Naturally Lower Your Cholesterol

"Can I lower my cholesterol if I eat better?" I hear this question time and time again. And, my answer is always the same, "If you exercise regularly and move more, maintaining good eating habits will put you on a sure path to a healthy…