Posts Tagged ‘Green Tea’

Natural Sunscreen Options

June 24, 2011 Written by JP

This past Tuesday marked the official start of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, otherwise known as the summer solstice. Among other things, this means that you’ll likely encounter seemingly endless ads for sunblocks and sunscreens on billboards, magazines and television. The advisability of using sunscreen is a topic of debate due to questionable efficacy and ingredients and sunblock’s ability to reduce natural Vitamin D synthesis. This lack of consensus confuses many. But there’s also good that can come of it. Cosmetic companies are continually trying to find safer agents that genuinely protect against the photo-aging effects of UV radiation. In some instances, this journey leads them down a natural path. Herb and legume extracts ranging from Ginkgo biloba to soy isoflavones now commonly appear on the labels of topical formulas with additional sun protecting components. In fact, some of these “holistic” ingredients are often used as selling points in the aforementioned advertisements. But something you’re unlikely to find in most ads is any mention of the role that nutrition can play in keeping your skin safe from the sun. (1,2,3,4,5)
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 19 Comments & Updates

Uterine Fibroids – A Natural Approach

April 8, 2011 Written by JP

There are a great many gaps of knowledge in the field of natural medicine. A plethora of hypotheses abound, but hard data pertaining to serious medical conditions is often difficult to come by. This unfortunate reality places patients and physicians in a decidedly awkward position. Some choose to wait until more evidence of higher quality presents itself. Others apply the admittedly incomplete or preliminary information currently available as best they can. To my mind, a balance between these two camps is generally the most judicious way to proceed. My ideal approach is to keep an eye out for breaking new research and, at the same time, use the evidence that’s currently available when putting together an integrative plan of action. Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Mental Health, Women's Health | 9 Comments & Updates

Urinary Incontinence Alternatives

April 3, 2011 Written by JP

Many of the decisions we make in life are based on estimates and statistical probability. In health care, this means factoring in hereditary influences and general population figures to “guesstimate” the odds of developing virtually any conceivable medical condition or disease. Age must also be introduced into the equation. As we grow older, the incidence of various conditions such as arthritis, prostatic enlargement and urinary incontinence increase substantially. In previous columns, I’ve addressed several natural strategies that may minimize the risk and reduce the symptoms of arthritis and an enlarged prostate. Today’s focus is on three little-known techniques that may discourage the likelihood of age-related incontinence and limit the symptomatic impact of incontinence if it’s already established.
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Women's Health | 7 Comments & Updates

Preventing Colorectal Cancer Naturally?

March 21, 2011 Written by JP

In the vast majority of cases, cancer doesn’t develop quickly. A tumor doesn’t just appear out of nowhere. Rather, it forms through a complex set of circumstances that are affected by aberrant cellular changes, growth factors, hormonal influences, increased blood flow and inflammation. Technically speaking, carcinogenesis is “largely comprised of three phases: initiation, promotion and progression”. Medical researchers are keenly interested in understanding the process behind the formation of malignancies because it’s far more preferable to interfere with the genesis of cancer than to try and destroy it once it’s fully formed.
Read more »


Tags: , , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutritional Supplements | 16 Comments & Updates

Supplement News You Can Use

February 25, 2011 Written by JP

The majority of positive research on nutritional supplements never makes the mainstream news. In fact, if you used the information presented in the most popular magazines, newspapers and television news programs exclusively, you’d probably have a relatively negative impression about the utility of non-prescriptive herbs, essential fatty acids and various other so-called “nutraceuticals”. The reality is that there are hundreds, if not thousands, of relevant studies published each year in prestigious medical journals about dietary supplements that you probably should know about.
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Exercise, Heart Health, Nutritional Supplements | 19 Comments & Updates

Tea Thyroid Danger

January 5, 2011 Written by JP

Even the healthiest foods and remedies aren’t recommended for certain people. A bowl of freshly picked, organic green leafy vegetables is a wonderful addition to most diets. But it can be a veritable poison if you happen to be allergic to the greens in question. Likewise, exceedingly benign treatments such as massage therapy need to be applied in an individualized manner. Does it make any sense to give a deep tissue massage to someone with a bleeding disorder? The fact of the matter is that all natural remedies ought to be viewed subjectively. Adverse reactions are not the exclusive domain of conventional medicine. (1,2,3) Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Food and Drink, Nutrition | 7 Comments & Updates

Garlic Breath Remedies

December 7, 2010 Written by JP

Garlic is one of the most commonly enjoyed seasonings in modern cuisine. There’s little doubt that many a dish benefits from it. Likewise, the health promoting attributes of garlic have been revered and utilized by civilizations for thousands of years. All that said, the after effects of Allium sativum consumption sometimes leave much to be desired. The reality is that garlic doesn’t just affect breath via the oral cavity. Recent scientific inquiries into this malodorous topic attest to the fact that certain sulfur compounds in garlic such as allyl methyl sulfide (AMS), hydrogen sulfide and methanethiol can also emanate from the gut. But you don’t necessarily need to give up garlic altogether in order to keep your colleagues, friends and mates happy. Before resorting to such extreme measures, you might consider trying out the following natural breath fresheners.
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Dental Health, Food and Drink | 11 Comments & Updates

Best of Natural Cancer Fighters

November 5, 2010 Written by JP

The other night I found myself at a local card room. I was sitting at a “No-Limit Texas Hold ’em” table playing poker with a motley group of strangers. Poker isn’t your standard form of gambling. It does involve a certain measure of luck, but it mostly requires a particular set of observational and social skills. It so happens that these same skills can be extremely beneficial in parts of life that extend far beyond the confines of the felt table, the clattering chips and shuffling cards. About half way through the evening, a rather gruff looking gentleman took a seat at the table. He looked like the kind of guy you wouldn’t want to upset or even look at the wrong way. But if there’s one lesson that poker teaches you it’s that you should never entirely trust the obvious. So I began chatting with this biker-type fellow as he devoured an enormous ice cream sundae with plenty of peanuts on top. In the course of about 15 minutes, he revealed to me that was suffering from terminal cancer. He didn’t much care about dressing well or shaving because he didn’t expect to be around for much longer. Talk about a punch to the gut!
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements | 17 Comments & Updates

Best Of Natural Memory Boosters

November 4, 2010 Written by JP

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a mind like Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, Leonardo Da Vinci or Socrates? It’s an intriguing daydream to “guesstimate” what we could accomplish if only we had greater cognitive faculties. But at the end of the day, we’re all at the mercy of our genetic blueprint, environment and upbringing. That is unless you’re willing to dig deep in order to try to stretch your mental boundaries. There are, in fact, certain steps that can be taken by ordinary men and women to optimize brain function. I’m not claiming that it’ll turn an average Joe into a 21st century genius, but it just might give you enough of an edge to get further in life than you ever suspected.
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Exercise, Food and Drink, Nutritional Supplements | 3 Comments & Updates

Resistance Training, Sitting Danger and Tea Types

October 21, 2010 Written by JP

The most exciting aspect of skimming through Twitter posts or tweets is that you never know what or who you’re going find. The one thing you can be sure of is that the more time you spend looking, the more interesting content and people you’ll stumble upon. Some of the characters you’ll likely end up following may be household names, while others are hardly recognizable if you normally get your news via the mainstream or regional press. Today’s edition of Twitter Thursday will feature examples of both camps.
Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Exercise, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 9 Comments & Updates

Green Tea, Leukemia and Weight Loss News

June 10, 2010 Written by JP

Today marks yet another edition of Twitter Thursday. A special note: One of our frequently featured contributors just celebrated a birthday on Tuesday and I want to take this opportunity to give him a big shout out. Happy birthday, Dr. Weil! Many of you are undoubtedly aware of Andrew Weil and the profoundly significant role he’s played in integrating alternative and complementary medicine into the mainstream. He’s now 68 years old and continues to be a leader in the integrative health movement. Even though we don’t agree on all heath care issues, I fervently believe that he is indeed one of the good guys currently working in the healing arts. Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements | 10 Comments & Updates

Sugar Free Soda Alternative

April 2, 2010 Written by JP

I was listening recently to an interview with Dr. Richard Bernstein that was conducted by David Edelman of Diabetes Today. During the course of the interview David posed a few specific questions that I genuinely wanted to know the answers to: “What did you have for breakfast and for lunch?”. These aren’t exactly hard hitting inquiries or the kind of material that is likely to convert anyone to Dr. Bernstein’s philosophy for controlling blood sugar. But it does offer an intriguing glimpse into how a seasoned expert applies his own recommendations to his daily life. After all, isn’t that what we’d all like to know? How do we take the concepts and guidelines presented in books, magazines and websites, and incorporate them into our regular routines? One way to accomplish this is to replace damaging diet elements with healthier options. Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Product Reviews | 12 Comments & Updates

Spreading Good Health

March 22, 2010 Written by JP

Several years ago I was thinking about my life and wondered whether there was a simple activity I could perform everyday that would contribute something positive to the world. In the past I would visit natural health forums and do my best to answer questions posed by other visitors. Now I try to do my part by writing this daily blog and using HungerSite.com as my homepage. This is a cost-free way of benefiting a variety of charities. You just click on a button and it donates a small amount to non-profit organizations that address the needs of animal shelters, the hungry, literacy groups and even rainforest preservation. This is all well and good, but I want to try to do more and I need your help. Read more »


Tags: , ,
Posted in General Health, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements, Women's Health | No Comments;