Parents face many challenges trying to raise healthy children. Convincing kids to eat enough non-starchy vegetables is at the top of that list. This is no accident. Among other reasons, food manufacturers spend millions upon of millions of dollars “educating” the youth market on what’s cool to eat. But with a little creative parenting, there are ways of outsmarting finicky youngsters and junk food marketers at the same time. Read more…

Summertime is berry-time. This year, several encouraging studies have accompanied the seasonal influx of these succulent fruits. My Healthy Monday tip of the week is to include more fresh and frozen berries in your diet in the hope of reducing the risk of blood sugar and cardiovascular danger (metabolic syndrome), liver dysfunction, poor cognition and various forms of cancer. Read more…

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…

One of my least favorite sayings is, “Everything in moderation”. I think it’s a problematic piece of advice for many people who think they need such guidance in the first place. You wouldn’t tell a mother to let her child eat lead-based paint in moderation. It would be foolhardy to suggest to an alcoholic or drug addict to indulge every once in awhile, provided that it’s done moderately. So why then do family, friends, nutritionists and physicians insist on passing along this ubiquitous adage when it comes to eating unhealthy food? In my opinion, it’s largely rooted in a belief that most people just aren’t capable of doing what’s right for themselves on a long term basis. But I think there’s a better solution. Read more…

When you embark on a major lifestyle change, you need to accept the reality that certain dietary sacrifices are required. But in some instances you can still enjoy many of your familiar comfort foods provided that you adapt them. In my previous life, I frequently had cookies and milk for breakfast or as a “light” snack. I’ve long since abandoned any notion that I could eat this way again - at least not with a clear conscience. That is, until now. Read more…

Many conventional nutritionists and physicians pass along a standard piece of advice with regard to managing heart disease via diet: follow the guidelines set forth by the American Heart Association (AHA). After all, who better to offer guidance than an organization that specializes in matters relating to cardiovascular disease? My Health Monday tip of the day is to discuss different, and I think, more promising, dietary options with your health care team.
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There’s a big difference between the transient use of medications for acute conditions and long term administration in cases of chronic health concerns. Take one of the oldest remedies known to mankind: aspirin. An occasional aspirin to relieve a headache is significantly different than using it on a daily basis to help reduce the risk of a heart attack. In the short term, aspirin is unlikely to result in many side effects. But regular usage can provoke a number of serious adverse reactions and therapeutic effects. This is why it’s important for physicians to assess the expected benefits and risks of aspirin therapy prior to prescribing it. The same principle should hold true with regard to any medication that you may need to take for years upon years. (1,2)
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This week’s edition of Twitter Thursday offers up several important reasons to exercise more often and new information about a nutraceutical/spice which may protect against the damage caused by heavy metal exposure. My guests today are Shari Roan, a health columnist from The Los Angeles Times; Dr. Joseph Pizzorno, the founding president of the Bastyr University and Missy Chase Lapine, “The Sneaky Chef”. Read more…

The way you perceive things can dramatically influence the results you find. I think many people accept this concept as true to some extent. But how many of us actually keep this philosophy in mind when applying it in practical terms? For example - when psychiatrists throughout the world prescribe a medication for ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or clinical depression, most patients are inclined to believe that it will relieve their symptoms. However, would the same mindset hold true if a physician “prescribed” eating more fish or supplementing with fish oil for the same conditions? Setting aside the relative efficacy of the respective treatments, it’s important to understand that the way you think about any given therapy is likely to affect the outcome - for better or for worse. Read more…

One of our favorite places to visit is Santa Fe, New Mexico. There was a period of time when we even considered relocating there. The desert landscape is incredibly beautiful. The weather is milder than you might expect in summer and winter. The people are warm and generous. We are happy there because it melds many of the finer aspects of small town living with some of the cultural benefits you’d associated with “big city life” - fine dining, a vibrant art scene and a top-notch opera company. The following recipe is our little homage to Santa Fe and something we prepare when we are longing for “The City Different”. Read more…

I recently had two positive experiences while visiting a couple of allopathic physicians. The first occurred when my wife and I went in for our yearly physical, convenient because we both see the same doctor. After a thorough, “old school” examination he proclaimed, “You guys don’t really need me. You already know all the right things to do and you’re doing them”. That’s a bit of an overstatement, but it’s a clear example of his approach to medicine. This is a physician who doesn’t like to waste money or time - his or ours. A couple of weeks later we made a surprise visit to the emergency room. My wife took a nasty fall and hit her head on a steel beam. Needless to say, we fully expected that a CT scan would be required to rule out a concussion or worse. But once again, the doctor we saw opted for a more conservative approach. He explained that he prefers to use CT scans only when forced to by the presence of certain critical symptoms. He simply does not like to expose the brain to large doses of unnecessary radiation. Read more…

Here’s an age old question: “Do you need to see something in order to believe it?”. The answer for some is “yes” and many require visual proof before they can accept something as legitimate or real. But there’s a whole other camp of thought. Some ascribe to the notion that you must first believe something is possible before you’re capable of seeing it. There isn’t a chance in the world that I can negotiate an agreement between these two schools of thought. However, a recent post on Twitter adds an interesting twist to this debate.
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Glaucoma is an eye condition which affects approximately 2.5 million men and women in the United States alone. It is characterized by increased inner eye pressure which can cause damage to the optic nerve and, thereby, result in vision loss. Fortunately, the combination of two nutraceutical ingredients has recently shown a reduction in intraocular pressure and an improvement overall eye health. (1)
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My favorite types of recipes are those that can be enjoyed at elegant dinner parties, informal get togethers and even as snacks on lazy days when you’re home alone. I’m talking about foods that can be easily incorporated into main courses or satisfy equally well as appetizers or hors d’oeuvres. One such dish is my version of Shrimp Diablo. 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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