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Danger Lurking In Your Bathroom

Danger Lurking In Your Bathroom

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There is no doubt that the majority of households in America have a common over-the-counter (OTC) medication in their bathroom. OTC medications are conveniently available in a variety of stores, and the assumption is that they are safe. Yet there is mounting evidence that they can cause a range of adverse effects.

One prominent medication has been linked to roughly half of all cases of acute liver failure in the U.S. This is causing doctors like John Brems, MD, a professor of surgery at Loyola University in Chicago, to tell ABC News that “Acetaminophen is probably the most dangerous OTC drug in this country.”

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Stop Blaming The Turkey What’s Behind Your Post-Dinner Slump

Stop Blaming The Turkey – What’s Behind Your Post-Dinner Slump

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True or false – eating turkey at Thanksgiving makes you sleepy? We’ve all heard the jokes about curling up in a recliner after a big holiday meal. Maybe you have been looking for a comfy place to take a nap. But I think it’s time that we stop blaming the poor turkeys and explore what is really happening.

What is it in turkey that’s blamed for making you sleepy? Tryptophan is what most people associate with turkey and sleep. That is because tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor for melatonin. However, that doesn’t mean that it works so quickly to cause sleepiness right after your meal.

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PCOS Solutions That Look Beyond The Pill

PCOS Solutions That Look Beyond The Pill

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There is a condition that affects over 15% of women in the United States and beyond our borders. On the outside, it appears as a confusing combination of weight gain, cystic acne, facial hair, and infertility. On the inside, it prompts exhaustion from mood swings and frustration from waning hope.

The diagnosis is PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), a confusing name we give to a hormone imbalance that may or may not present with “polycystic ovaries” – ovaries with multiple cysts. The journey with PCOS feels like a long, frustrating loop of symptoms, prescriptions, and vague answers.

Are you a woman living with PCOS? If so, you’ve likely heard phrases like “It’s just something you’ll have to manage for life” or “Here’s the birth control pill—take this and we’ll monitor things.” Sound familiar?

I’m here to say, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you’re not crazy for thinking there has to be a better way.

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Move Your Lymph

Move Your Lymph

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Most everyone is familiar with the cardiovascular system that helps to pump blood to the body’s tissues. Did you know there is another series of vessels that carry a clear liquid called lymph? It’s important to move your lymph to improve your health.

Move Your Lymph

While nutrients and oxygen are delivered to the body through blood, lymph has the task of collecting waste, toxins, and debris while also distributing immune cells through the body. Keeping your lymph flowing smoothly is critical for your body’s wellbeing.

Your lymphatic system is a network of vessels and lymph nodes working together to carry fluids from your tissues to your blood. It is basically your body’s inner drainage system.

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Are Your Symptoms Aging or Inflammation?

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Do you have a friend (or two) who claims that “getting old sucks?” Many struggle with growing numbers of symptoms that they attribute to aging, but few realize that most of those symptoms are actually caused by inflammation. What about you? Are your symptoms aging or inflammation?

I firmly believe that many of the symptoms we attribute to age are avoidable. Some call this inflammation that comes with (or accelerates) aging “inflammaging.” Yet there is good news! With proper nutrition and lifestyle strategies, you can slow this inflamm-aging process and reduce your risk of health issues. Read more

We have come through a holiday which is focused on giving thanks. Have you discovered the power of words on your life? Gratitude and praise lift the spirit.

The Power of Words on Your Life

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We have just come through a holiday which is focused on gratitude, on giving thanks. Have you discovered the power of words on your life? Gratitude and praise lift the spirit. And do you remember the effect of hurtful words when you were a child … or even recently? Did they crush your spirit?

In his book, Love as a Way of Life, Gary Chapman uses an effective metaphor for words as being either bullets or seeds. When we speak with condemnation, our words act as bullets, tearing down relationships. Yet when we use our words as seeds, spoken in a supportive manner with good will for our audience, we are building relationship in positive, affirming ways. Read more

Got Milk – Do You Really Need It?

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Do you have a friend or family member who follows a dairy-free approach to eating? Does it seem like an odd choice – one that feels slightly un-American? Do you really need milk?

We’ve all seen the “Got Milk” commercials and print ads, and I’m sure you heard your Mom tell you to drink your milk for strong bones. But is milk truly beneficial to your body? Maybe, maybe not. Read more

Why Ditch Your Sugar Habit?

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Do you have a firm grasp on the amount of sugar you consume? Most people do not. It’s been said that the average person consumes more than 40 pounds of sugar in a calendar year, but I found more updated information indicating that the average amount is actually closer to 150 pounds — quite alarming, don’t you think?

When we think of sugar, sweet desserts such as cakes, donuts, candy, and cookies come to mind immediately. But there are tremendous amounts of sugar hiding in everyday things we consume, and when we consume them regularly, they add up fast. Read more

Inflammation … Friend or Foe?

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We’ve all experienced wounds of varying sizes. Think back to a recent wound – the event that caused it, the pain and probably blood. Within a few hours the spot was tender, red and swollen; yet that subsided after a short time as a scab developed and healing began.

That tender redness was the result of inflammation at the site – your body’s process of “mustering in the troops” to fight off germs and support the healing process. It is a normal process for our bodies, whether you actually see the wound on the outside or not.

Inflammation is necessary to protect and heal, but when it continues unchecked, it can begin to work against us. Read more

Dump the Vegetable Oil!

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For the past four decades, the U.S. government has warned that eating cholesterol-rich foods and saturated fat would promote heart disease. In that time, low-fat and fat-free foods have become more prominent on the grocery shelves. But have these changes made a difference in our overall health?

Dr Christopher Ramsden, of the National Institute of Health, unearthed raw data from Keys’ largest, most rigorous trial of its kind. Analysis of the data clearly showed that lowering cholesterol by consuming vegetable oils instead of saturated fat actually raised the risk of death from cardio vascular events. Read more