Foods and natural remedies are frequently classified according to their most prominent features. Echinacea flowers and roots are generally thought of as immune boosters. Ginkgo biloba leaves are widely regarded as memory enhancers. And saffron stigmas are associated with the deep red color they impart to countless Eurasian dishes. Of the three examples, saffron is probably the least familiar in terms of medicinal potential. However, that is likely to change thanks to recent studies that are beginning to reveal new talents for this ancient spice. Read more »

What is the one thing that attracts and repels people and situations into your life? To my mind, it’s how you view the world. It’s absolutely vital to understand how you really feel about the important issues of life. But from that point on, the decisions you make become even more interesting. Will you choose to surround yourself with people and places that wholeheartedly agree with your outlook? Or, will you invite in other points of view that challenge your philosophical notions? From my perspective, the latter and more difficult of the two options is probably the better way to go. Maybe that’s why I like Twitter so much. Read more »

There is an enormous gap between what we know and don’t know in the field of alternative and complementary medicine. Countless questions remain unanswered simply because there isn’t enough financing and resources to test in a scientific manner. That’s why it’s vitally important to put to use every last study that has been conducted. Because even the slightest of experiments can yield important clues that help bridge the knowledge gap. Read more »

Does snacking assist with weight loss or encourage weight gain? At first glance the answer may seem obvious. Many people come to the conclusion that adding a snack or two to your daily schedule surely increases caloric intake and, thereby, contributes to extra pounds. Well, that’s one theory. Another theory is that snacking between meals can help balance blood sugar and stave off overeating in subsequent meals. So which of these competing hypotheses is correct? I’ll give you my two cents on this debate in today’s Healthy Monday tip. * Read more »

There’s no denying that our bodies and minds change as we age. This is evidenced in our appearance and in the way that our physiology copes with everyday activities. A passing glance in the mirror reveals a thicker midsection than we remember. A conversation at a dinner party is only partially understood because some of the dialog is spoken too softly. Even our favorite meals of yesteryear no longer hold the same appeal. Instead of being a source of comfort food, they’re now just a source of indigestion. Aging is inevitable. But there are some natural ways to slow down the process and, possibly, minimize the unwanted effects of growing older.
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It’s been over a year and half since I first started writing columns for HealthyFellow.com. Since this site’s inception, I’ve posted hundreds of blogs dealing with every conceivable facet of natural health and wellness. I believe that the majority of what I cover here has lasting power. I choose my sources of information carefully, which gives me confidence that the data I present will remain relevant for the foreseeable future. However, that doesn’t preclude me from updating new developments regularly for virtually every topic I’ve examined in the past. Medicine, be it alternative or conventional, stands still for no one. Read more »

Today marks yet another edition of Twitter Thursday. A special note: One of our frequently featured contributors just celebrated a birthday on Tuesday and I want to take this opportunity to give him a big shout out. Happy birthday, Dr. Weil! Many of you are undoubtedly aware of Andrew Weil and the profoundly significant role he’s played in integrating alternative and complementary medicine into the mainstream. He’s now 68 years old and continues to be a leader in the integrative health movement. Even though we don’t agree on all heath care issues, I fervently believe that he is indeed one of the good guys currently working in the healing arts. Read more »

Have you ever noticed that you eat more on days following a poor night’s sleep? Maybe you graze voraciously on snack foods while at school or work or perhaps you can’t control your appetite very well when you sit down for lunch or dinner. If you’re all too familiar with either of these patterns, then you might want to make this a Healthy Monday by resolving to place a higher priority on sleep.
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This past weekend a client consulted with me about how to select healthier food options when dining out. In practical terms this often means asking for substitutions for starchy and/or sweet food items. For example you can request to have a side of grilled asparagus or wilted spinach instead of pasta or risotto. However this suggestion sometimes segues into a common concern among those trying to lose weight or otherwise improve their health. “You mean I can never eat risotto again?!” The short answer is, “Of course you can”. But the more nuanced response is that such delicacies should probably be saved for special occasions and not be eaten as a regular part of your menu plan.
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I’m happy to announce that I’ve been asked to participate in a community outreach effort entitled Healthy Monday. In this program, various individuals, news organizations and web sites are working in association with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Newhouse School at Syracuse University to help spread the word about “behaviors and actions that will end preventable disease”. I love this concept and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.
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The first stop on today’s Twitter tour is a visit with Dr. Andrew Weil to get his two cents about the relative merits of honey as a sweetener. Then two new contributors to Twitter Thursday - Nancy Onyett, a certified family nurse practitioner, competitive bodybuilder and director of the Pyramid Preventative Medicine and Dr. Bill Yates, a Tulsa-based physician with a keen eye for interesting neuroscientific research. Finally, we’ll round out today’s column with some input from a few familiar Twitter sources: Neatorama and Dr. Wayne Dyer.
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What’s good for the individual is good for society. That adage may not always be true, but it often is with regard to health care. But even if you accept this principle, you still have to establish the meaning of the word “good” in the realm of medicine and nutrition. This past week on Twitter I discovered several examples of “good” advice from a varied group of health experts. Some of the recommendations presented may very well surprise you. Read more »

Today, I’m going to attempt the impossible. Simply put, my goal is to make the case that cheesecake can be a health food. You read that right! Cheesecake is a health food. Of course I’m not just talking just any kind of cheesecake. There are a few substitutions that need to be made. But the good news is that the end result will hopefully be as equally pleasing to your palate as the unhealthy version to which most people have become accustomed. Read more »

In a perfect world we could control all of our dining choices. But the reality is that we’re sometimes placed in situations that effectively sabotage the best laid dietary plans. This isn’t an issue for all people, but it does impact a rather large segment of the population that’s trying to lose weight or otherwise improve their health. In such instances, one can always exercise abstinence. However there’s another resource available that can help minimize the consequences of occasional decadent meals. Read more »

I always try to find new and inventive ways to improve the health of those I love. I keep this objective in mind whenever I scour the medical journals or surf the information superhighway. But, in all honesty, I have an even more specific agenda - to discover delicious, pleasurable and/or simple ways of promoting wellness in my family and friends. I simply despise having to tell them that they need to make difficult changes in order to achieve better health. Sometimes this an unavoidable fact of life. However, if there is any way for me to offer a kinder, gentler alternative that’s precisely what I’ll do. Read more »

Life may seem rather complicated when you look at all the moving pieces. Living in today’s world means that you must constantly be aware of cultural and environment considerations, governmental regulations and political issues, interpersonal relationships, religion and spiritual practices and technological advances. Ignoring any of these elements could spell trouble or otherwise put you at a disadvantage. But if it ever seems as if all of that is too much to handle, just remember that your brain is already overseeing a vastly more complex landscape every minute of every day - the incredibly intricate and magnificent machinery that resides within the body. It requires the utmost precision and skill to coordinate all of the disparate functions and physiological components that are absolutely vital in order to keep us alive and thriving. In most instances, the mind manages this enormous task seamlessly. Read more »