Posts Tagged ‘Anxiety’

Serenity Formula Product Review

October 27, 2009 Written by JP

According to the October issue of the AARP Bulletin, 10 of the most popular medications prescribed in the United States are used to address psychological symptoms. In fact, over 243 million prescriptions were written in 2008 alone expressly for this purpose. Anxiety, depression and insomnia top the list of conditions for which these drugs are dispensed. But that startling statistic doesn’t reveal whether or not any natural alternatives were tried prior to the use of these powerful, psychoactive agents. Read more »


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Posted in Product Reviews | 8 Comments

Health News for Women

October 14, 2009 Written by JP

Menopause is a time when many women begin to think about health issues that extend well beyond “hot flashes”. Every woman experiences this time of life in a different way. For some, the hormonal shift that occurs can profoundly influence quality of life in waking hours and even during sleep. Others are more fortunate and get through this period with only mild “reminders”. But what all women have in common are the physiological changes that are taking place, whether they feel them or not. Read more »


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Posted in Women's Health | No Comments;

Valerian and Sleep Disorders

August 25, 2009 Written by JP

Valerian root extract is perhaps the most intensely studied and widely used natural insomnia remedy known to man. But what’s both fascinating and infuriating about it is that many scientists still don’t agree about whether it’s a viable alternative to pharmaceutical sleeping pills. The two most likely reasons for this are: a) herbal extracts are significantly more complicated to study than most synthetic medications; and b) there isn’t much of a financial incentive to get to the bottom of this issue. The secondary point isn’t an attempt to indiscriminately knock the pharmaceutical industry. Both the allopathic and holistic camps have a financial interest in allowing this mystery to persist. Read more »


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Posted in Mental Health | 2 Comments

Animal Assisted Therapy

July 13, 2009 Written by JP

The window of our home overlooks an expansive private courtyard and garden. Weather permitting, almost every day I see men, women and children playing out there with their canine companions. Sometimes they simply rest together underneath the shade of a tree. On occasion, I even hear interspecies “conversations” going on. It’s actually a really beautiful sight to behold. The connection that is present between animals and humans is a profound one indeed. This observation has not escaped both traditional and modern health practitioners. Today’s column delves a bit into the research that exists on animal-assisted therapy (AAT). Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies | 8 Comments

Sacha Inchi

July 2, 2009 Written by JP

If you want to stick to a healthy diet over the long term, it helps to find ways to keep it interesting. Eating the same old things over and over again isn’t just boring to your taste buds, but it also severely limits the types of nutrients that your body has to work with. Fortunately, the variety of food available in the 21st century is greater than at any other time in human history. No matter what kind of diet you’ve adopted, you can hunt down exotic and rare menu items that were previously unavailable. Today, I’d like to introduce you to two “new” snack items from South America. Read more »


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Posted in Nutrition | 10 Comments

The Feldenkrais Method

June 24, 2009 Written by JP

Poor balance is a leading cause of disability and infirmity in the elder population. If you aren’t a part of that age group yet, please don’t tune out. The Feldenkrais Method is a unique mind-body technique that helps to improve balance, but, may also help a wide range of other conditions, including chronic pain, depression, eating disorders, fibromyalgia and, even, multiple sclerosis. Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies | 6 Comments

Acupuncture, Macular Degeneration and Osteoporosis Updates

June 19, 2009 Written by JP

When it comes to health care, most of us would prefer to have plenty of options. I don’t just mean a choice of which physicians to see, but also what forms of treatment we can access. I believe an important step to increasing the availability of treatment options is to spread the word about alternative/complementary therapies that are scientifically validated but relatively unpublicized. Greater awareness opens doors and minds. Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutritional Supplements | 4 Comments

Chewing Gum for Stress Relief

May 22, 2009 Written by JP

Chew on this: When you’re stressed out or feeling less than mentally focused, you may just want to pop a piece of gum into your mouth. Over the past few years several scientific studies have all pointed to a very real psychological benefit derived from simply masticating repeatedly. Read more »


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Posted in Dental Health, Mental Health | 6 Comments

Massage for Anxiety and Pain

May 5, 2009 Written by JP

Massage is a dramatically under utilized healing modality. Maybe it’s just hard to imagine that something that feels so good can actually provoke tangible benefits in the body and mind. There is also the common perception that a massage is an indulgence. Given the current economic climate, the likelihood of “indulging” in such a treatment becomes even more remote.

The reality is that therapeutic massage provides very real and quantifiable health effects that help us live happier and healthier lives. In addition, it can offer a viable alternative or synergistic support to conventional treatments. The issue of cost can also be managed by strategically using your health insurance and/or engaging in home based, amateur massage with a trusted partner.
Read more »


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Posted in Alternative Therapies | 4 Comments

Yoga for Anxiety and Depression

April 9, 2009 Written by JP

The ancient practice of yoga is as popular as ever. You’re as likely to find it in the trendiest parts of any given city as you are at remote Asian temples. Perhaps because yoga is often associated with both philosophy and religion, it hasn’t received a lot of scientific attention until recent years. But much like meditation, yoga is now being modified into more accessible forms that are starting to make their way into our modern system of health care. Here’s a brief overview of some of current findings about how yoga may be applied to improve your mental and physical health.
Read more »


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Posted in Mental Health | 2 Comments

Zinc Deficiency

March 18, 2009 Written by JP

If you’ve been feeling a little down lately, you may want to consider whether your zinc status is causing or exacerbating those “blue” feelings. By zinc status, I mean the amount of zinc you’re getting by way of diet and supplementation. Thanks to some really compelling research, I’d like to make a case for the use of zinc in maintaining and promoting a happier state of mind. Read more »


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Posted in Nutritional Supplements | 2 Comments

A Natural Anxiety Treatment

December 19, 2008 Written by JP

What do you do when you’re feeling anxious? Do you “drink your problems away”? Do you indulge in “comfort food”? Or maybe you try to distract yourself by watching TV or playing video games. If any of that sounds familiar to you or if it describes someone you know, then you’ll want to read the rest of today’s blog. Read more »


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Posted in Mental Health | 7 Comments

Laughter As a Healing Force

December 2, 2008 Written by JP

Welcome to my first blog entry. Let’s get this show on the road!

There was a recent review in the journal Evidence Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine (try saying that ten times fast!) that provides a scientific overview of the benefits of laughing regularly. Laughter and science? You betcha.

So, what are some of the documented medical benefits of “laughter therapy”? Read more »


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Posted in Mental Health | 2 Comments