My parents, Giuliana and Gianfranco, have contributed greatly to my understanding of natural medicine. Anyone who knows my folks will tell you that they’re among the most generous and kindhearted people you could ever hope to meet. Being exposed to that type of example has obviously been of tremendous value. But perhaps the most important gift they’ve given me with respect to my profession is allowing me to learn through their experience. They’ve placed their faith and trust in me as a consultant in most of their health care decisions. Part of this long term arrangement involves me designing a tailor-fit diet, exercise routine and supplement program for them both. Along the way, I’ve learned some lessons - chief among them is that it’s absolutely vital for me to fully comprehend and explicitly convey why I recommend what I recommend. Read more »

News reports about the so called Novel H1N1 Swine Flu continue to roll in from around the world. On a daily basis, governmental agencies and medical specialists offer the best information they currently have about how to contain the spread of this pandemic. There’s no question that it’s important to keep up to date on the breaking news. But more and more, it appears that acting on a personal level is one the best options we have. I’m referring, specifically, to measures that we can each take to keep ourselves well. Staying healthy contributes to a grassroots effort to help minimize the impact of this virus. This is a way of applying the “think globally, act locally” philosophy to this worldwide health matter. Read more »

When most people think about minerals and diabetes the first thing that comes to mind is the trace element chromium. It’s a reasonable association since chromium has been used extensively to help manage blood sugar in type 2 diabetics for decades. But there are other minerals that are often lacking in diabetic and pre-diabetic individuals. If these deficiencies are addressed, it may reduce the damage that poor blood glucose control can bring about. Read more »

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 »