Nobody wants to waste time or money on quackery. On the other hand, we’ve all heard anecdotes about people who have made dramatic recoveries under the care of holistic healers. The question then becomes: How exactly does one navigate through this uncertain terrain? The first step is to get a referral from someone you respect. But even with that assurance, you’ll still need to practice something I call “inquisitive optimism”. This requires maintaining a hopeful attitude while at the same time asking plenty of questions. Read more »

An area in my life that I’m trying to improve on is how I work. There’s an old adage that advises people to “work smarter” instead of working harder. This same piece of advice applies to other sectors of life, including diet. I often find myself speaking to colleagues, family, friends and even strangers about nutrition. If I overhear someone talking about a particular problem, I try to drop a small hint or tip about something natural they can do about it. Most of the time, my input is well received. But it’s also true that some people accept the information with some degree of trepidation. They frequently believe that any meaningful change in diet or lifestyle is bound to be complicated and/or painful. This is simply not the case. What’s more, it is this very prejudice that encourages so many to remain in a self-destructive cycle instead of attempting some basic steps that could possibly revolutionize their health and life. Read more »

Almost every piece of complicated machinery comes with an instruction manual. Without the proper directions it requires much more time and patience to figure out exactly how to use a new car, computer or TV. Using trial and error may be an appealing option to some, but can also lead to miscalculations which can damage new gadgets or, perhaps, even pose a safety risk. I don’t know about you, but I can’t find the the owner’s manual for my brain anywhere. I’m probably not the only one because scientists from around the world are constantly trying to give humans advice about how to optimize mental performance.
Read more »

Perhaps you heard or read about the recent news concerning caffeine and its purported effect on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. I know those headlines certainly caught my attention. I’m a frequent coffee drinker and regularly advocate the use of this roasted bean to promote wellness in most individuals. But rather than simply accept the current positive findings, I decided to dig a little deeper. I wanted to know: Does caffeine and, more specifically, coffee really afford any real world brain protection? Read more »

I’ve noticed that some people tend to compartmentalize their health conditions. Doctors and lay people alike often think about organs and systems in isolation. It’s not uncommon for someone to identify the status of their health by mentioning a particular condition, such as diabetes or heart disease. But the truth is that any serious health concern or collection of symptoms is almost always influenced by seemingly unrelated conditions. This concept is widely embraced in the holistic community but has gained slower acceptance in the allopathic medical establishment. Regardless of what kind of doctor treats you, I think it’s important to emphasize the subtle links between body systems. Today, I’ll illustrate an example by connecting the dots among several separate news items. Read more »

Whenever I visit a local health food store, I make it a point to walk down all of the aisles and scan for products that are new or beginning to take flight. Yesterday I stopped at the refrigerated beverage section and noticed quite a few coconut based drinks. I recently became interested in coconuts mainly because of my experimentation with their fiber (coconut flour) and the unique oil contained in the flesh of these tropical fruits. However, the milky liquid found inside Cocos nucifera is the one part that I hadn’t yet tried. Read more »

Throughout history mankind has sought to find novel techniques for improving the way the brain works. In more recent times, this quest was often a direct response to test taking in the academic arena and job performance in our professional lives. In both instances, we are often asked to mentally function at a peak level while under a certain degree of stress. There is new research about a common food that just may provide an added mental edge when we need it most.

Read more »

Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Those two words often provoke a fearful and visceral reaction in many people. I think part of the reason is that when AD strikes there’s really nothing much that can be done to strike back. Today’s blog reports on a new “medical food” that may help those diagnosed with AD to regain some control over their destiny. Read more »

Let’s face it, we are all affected both positively and negatively by the genes we inherit. Intelligence and overall brain function are no exceptions to this rule. But there are things that parents can do to help encourage optimal brain development in their kids. Today I’m going to focus on one simple strategy that can help ensure that nutrition plays a constructive role in shaping the minds of this and future generations. Read more »

The concept that aging inevitably brings about negative changes in our bodies and minds is widespread. Many people simply accept the “fact” that the physical body will weaken, eyesight will become blurry and the brain will no longer cooperate like it used to. To that I say: fight it! Accept what can’t be changed, but do whatever is possible to improve the things that are pliable. For example, we can and should adopt a philosophy that an aging brain can learn new tricks. Read more »

The minds of adults and children are generally thought to be quite different. But when we look at some of the problems in our daily lives, we find that many are shared by both kids and grown-ups. One example is in the way our brains malfunction.

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) has become such a commonly used medical term that most people are familiar with it. At first, it was mostly associated with kids who had a hard time concentrating at school. These children were often thought to be bright, but they just couldn’t focus well enough to succeed in school. Read more »

A Fishy Tale

“Eat your fish”. We’ve heard it a million times before from our mothers, our doctors, nutritionists on TV and even a concerned blogger or two. I’m no different. I’m here to tell you to, “Eat your fish … wisely”. Read more »