Many years ago I attended a health conference where Dr. Julian Whitaker was giving the key note presentation. He mentioned that he was a strong believer in choosing at least one healthy habit and practicing it every day. In his case, Dr. Whitaker mentioned eating an apple once daily without fail. His reason for doing so was more than the obvious “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” philosophy. The broader point he was trying to make is that engaging in healthy lifestyle choices and/or eating nutritious food works best if we do it religiously. Sometimes having a specific goal in mind can assist us in doing just that. Read more »

Many years ago I worked as a consultant for a number of health food stores. One day a customer remarked to me that his faith in herbs was largely based on the fact that human beings have grown up in the presence of medicinal plants since the beginning of time. He noted that the same could not be said for modern day medications. That’s certainly a valid but, ultimately, incomplete point. A more balanced view might be that humans have historically occupied this planet along side both dangerous and healing botanical neighbors. Read more »

The best way for me to learn is to understand the logic behind a lesson. I need to comprehend not only what is happening, but why. This helps me quite a lot when it comes to the study of natural medicine and nutrition. It’s not enough for someone to tell me that fruits and vegetables protect against cancer or that exercise “does a body good”. I have to be aware of the mechanisms that justify such statements. Very often, these explanations are based on incomplete information and, therefore, need to be modified over time. But even so, at least they provide a reasonable underpinning upon which one can hang a concept. Read more »

You can’t always trust news headlines. I found two recent examples of this on a national cable network and a highly regarded medical site. On the cable news station, one headline touted a story about a woman who was supposedly arrested for “cutting in line” at a discount store. Now that’s an attention grabber! If there’s an actual law against line-cutting, then I was surrounded by hoards of criminals when I recently attended a U2 concert. The truth in this instance is that the person involved also engaged in other inappropriate activities which played a role in her arrest. The second item that caught my eye had to do with a supposed “artificial” sweetener that could lower blood pressure and cholesterol. Which one could it be? Nutrasweet? Splenda? SweetN’ Low? Imagine my surprise when I discovered that oligofructose (OFS) was classified as a synthetic sweetener! That’s news to me, because it is in fact derived from natural sources. Read more »

Technology can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s all a matter of how we decide to use it. The Internet is a good example of this. Some experts warn that sitting in front of a computer for prolonged periods of time can bring about physical and psychological consequences, including obesity and social isolation. But there’s a growing body of science that points to a constructive way to spend time online. Specifically, researchers are finding that overweight individuals can benefit from the educational content and interpersonal support that is readily available to nearly anyone who has an Internet connection. Read more »

There’s always something new to learn about old herbs. The trouble is, sometimes it takes a very long time for scientists to test new applications for herbal remedies. The traditional medicinals know as Taraxacum officinale (dandelion) and Ginkgo biloba are two such examples. These ancient healing plants have recently been investigated for a few modern day health issues. Dandelion is proposed as a natural diuretic and ginkgo as an aid in managing PMS symptoms. On the other side of the spectrum, there are certain botanicals that are scientific darlings. A brew known as “sour tea” falls into this category. The more research that is released about it, the more it seems that sour tea could lend powerful support for the cardiovascular system and beyond. Read more »

I believe that the cornerstone of good health is a constructive relationship between patient and physician. It’s a real gamble to remain passive and simply hope that doctors will ask all the right questions and pass along every piece of pertinent information that is currently available. That’s simply too great a burden to place on any type of “healer”. But beyond that, I think all patients have a responsibility to share what they’ve personally learned in order to improve the quality of their own care and, possibly, the care of fellow patients. The following information may be relevant to many who would like to take a more pro-active approach in their own wellness program. Read more »

While conducting some research this morning, I made an unexpected connection between meditation and politics. When meditating we are often instructed to gently observe our thoughts, no matter where they lead. They’re simply benign messengers of the subconscious mind. In politics, ideally we strive to observe current events, then dispassionately incorporate that information into our political views. I think the application of scientific research should be approached in a similar manner. In a nutshell, I believe we need to be aware and open to new research that both supports and, occasionally, contradicts our points of view. I discovered an example of this while reviewing the most recent data on the effects of dark chocolate on hypertension. 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 »

Grapes are one of the most scientifically studied foods in the modern diet. Researchers tend to focus on grape seed and grape skin extracts, but juice and red wine frequently get attention as well. The reason for so much interest is that this richly pigmented fruit is chock full of powerful antioxidants and phytochemicals that are known to promote good health. Today’s blog presents an update of the most current findings on these nutritional superstars.
Read more »

Hypertension is the medical term for high blood pressure. Currently blood pressure readings of 120/80 and lower are considered normal. 120-139/80-89 are referred to as “prehypertension” and 140/90 and above is classified as high blood pressure. Read more »