It’s not uncommon for me to have a glass of biodynamic or organic red wine with my evening meal. As I was planning dinner last night, I got to thinking about why I enjoy wine and also about the rather substantial number of people who can’t or choose not to include alcohol in their lives. That thought process lead me to a decision to brew a cup of chamomile tea instead of having my usual glass of Pinot Noir. I remembered a study from last year that described the anti-anxiety properties of chamomile. So I wondered whether this herbal brew could provide a similar soothing effect as I’d come to expect from wine. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did. This experience is the basis for my Healthy Monday tip of the week: Drink more herbal tea! (1) Read more »

If you’ve ever listened to talk radio on the weekends then you’ve probably come across more than a few infomercials selling so-called “nutraceuticals”. Nutraceutical is a term that marries the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”. A common feature of these sales pitches is to offer a money back guarantee. This is an attempt to address the widespread skepticism of many people when hearing programs that pitch products that seem too good to be true.
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It’s part of human nature to overlook the potential of very “ordinary” things and instead seek out more exotic solutions to problems in our lives. This is very often the case in the field of natural medicine. We’re far more likely to hear about a new “superfruit” from a remote location than to read about similarly impressive features found in items available at the local supermarket. I can think of no better example of this than in the case of Zingiber Officinale, otherwise known as ginger root.
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Sometimes the best remedies are the simplest remedies. Today’s topic is certainly an illustration of just that.

There’s a special center at Cardiff University that focuses on all things related to the common cold. Earlier today, The Common Cold Centre released a statement touting the benefits of drinking hot drinks. Hot drinks? Yes, hot drinks! Read more »