Being “green”, as in environmentally sensitive, is a big part of the social consciousness these days. It’s nearly impossible to read a newspaper or watch the evening news without noting some mention about the ecology and what can be done to improve the current state of things. But there’s another way to be “green” that I wish would also get some attention. My mission for today is to start a different kind of green revolution. It’s a lifestyle movement that requires only one change – eating and drinking more green foods. Read more »

Trust but verify. That’s a key principle in both life and medicine. Use the best information possible to guide your decisions and then make sure that the expected outcome actually occurs. In health care, this can be accomplished by being consistent with any new treatment and then following that up with some sort of objective testing method. If you’re going to go to the expense and the effort of making a real change in your life, it’s important to determine whether it’s really effective in your individual circumstance. As a wise man once said, “I am not a statistic”. Read more »

No one looks forward to the prospect of an extended hospital stay. The best case scenario is a brief visit with few or no complications. Unfortunately, one of those complications is frequently a hospital borne bacterial infection, MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) which greatly minimizes the chances of a speedy recovery. As indicated by its name, this menacing form of Staph infection is immune to many commonly used antibiotics. In addition, it generally strikes those who are the most vulnerable – the elderly and immune compromised patients. Read more »

Science is always marching forward. In order to keep up with the most recent developments, it’s essential that I regularly update previously covered topics. Sometimes the information I find expands upon or supports prior findings. On other occasions new complications and contradictory evidence presents itself. These instances are at least as significant as the supportive data. My primary goal is to present accurate natural health information that is scientifically based and that will hopefully yield positive results in a real world setting. Part of this process will involve periodic changes of position as dictated by emerging research. Read more »

This Monday is Labor Day in the United States. Among other traditions, barbecuing and grilling frequently play a prominent role in the celebration of this holiday. But little known guests called “heterocyclic aromatic amines” (HCAs) almost always tag along and try to spoil the festivities. HCAs are toxic substances commonly produced during the cooking of beef, chicken, fish and pork. So today, I’ll tell you how to keep HCAs from crashing the party and get rid of the HCAs to which we can’t help but be exposed. Read more »

It happens at different times of the year. I’m talking about that itchiness in your throat, the stuffy nose and sneezing that are brought about by seasonal allergies. Another term for this is nuisance is allergic rhinitis. But whatever you choose to call it, it’s a real hassle to deal with. There are medications that help with all of these symptoms, but they sometimes bring about unwanted effects of their own. You may be surprised to learn that there’s an underutilized, natural food/nutritional supplement that could be a viable alternative to over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications. The substance I’m referring to is spirulina, a type of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae). Read more »

Some people like to play board games, watch sporting events or knit in their spare time. Me? I like to browse around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. I sometimes search around there for statistics that help shape the content that ends here. The other day I found a few interesting facts and figures. I already knew that heart disease is the “leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States”. But I was still stunned by a few other statistics. In 2005, 7.6 million people’s lives ended prematurely due to coronary heart disease. In 2003, almost 40% of adults exhibited two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking). These figures have probably only gotten worse in the time since they were compiled. This is evidenced by the most recent figure available: “In 2009, heart disease is projected to cost more than $304 billion dollars, including health care services, medications and lost productivity.” Read more »

Maybe you’ve had the following experience. You’re looking over the shelves of cold and flu remedies at your local health food store. Most of the supplements have familiar names such echinacea, elderberry, vitamin C and zinc. But every once in a while, an unfamiliar bottle catches your eye. Andrographis paniculata doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue, but you may have seen it around. Sometimes it’s just one of several ingredients in immune boosting nutritional blends. Other times, it’s the featured herb in supplements used to address seasonal allergies, the common cold, influenza and sinusitis. Read more »