All of the advice we’re hearing about social distancing, washing hands, and disinfecting, is to reduce exposure to the Corona virus. Hopefully these important measures will slow down the infection rate. But there is an equally important aspect that needs to be emphasized more… We need to start taking better care of our immune system… READ MORE…
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping, here’s a unique strategy… eat pistachios! They are a surprisingly excellent source of the hormone melatonin that helps us to sleep. Most foods have 1, 10, or even 100 ng/g of melatonin, but pistachios have a whopping 200,000 ng/g! I purchased a huge bag of pistachios before I learned… READ MORE…
So many of the gifts we default to giving end up being just more stuff that that clutters already over crowded closets and cabinets or unhealthy “treats” that end up making our loved ones feel poorly. After helping my mother clean out her packed, moldy basement this fall, I’m feeling especially anti-stuff and endeavor to… READ MORE…
For most of us, snow removal is an inconvenience that usually results in a runny nose, sore muscles, or at worst, a sore back. But some of us aren’t so lucky. Every year, approximately 100 men suffer from a heart attack during or just after shoveling, and many more head to the ER with chest… READ MORE…
In my last couple posts, we discussed ways to reduce sugar and why that is so important for your health. Today, let’s talk about some simple yet powerful strategies to reverse direction when sugar has led you down the path to prediabetes, diabetes, or metabolic syndrome. First, I want you to know that these metabolic… READ MORE…
I want to apologize if my last post about what sugar does to the body was a bummer. If you felt that way, just know that I totally agree. Most of us grew up eating lots of sugar, believing that the worst it could do is give us cavities. It was a treat we enjoyed… READ MORE…
Halloween is coming! I’ve always loved Halloween, but this year seeing the Halloween decorations actually filled me with dread*. Halloween is supposed to be pretend scary, but it does have a truly sinister side that harms people and causes a great deal of suffering. The real monster is the sugar. If it were… READ MORE…
In our area, everyone is on high alert about mosquitoes carrying Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE). Add this to on-going fears about the West Nile Virus, Lyme Disease, and the upcoming flu season, and many of us are in a legitimate tizzy, dousing ourselves with chemicals and avoiding the great outdoors. Which of course makes sense… READ MORE…
After a long summer of gorgeous sunny days, our vitamin D levels should be stellar! That’s because our skin makes vitamin D when it’s exposed to sunlight. But some of us don’t have optimal levels even at the end of August. Below I discuss why that might be, as well as testing, and important… READ MORE…
Last week, I listened to a raisin. Sounds crazy, right? But don’t worry, I wasn’t hearing voices or having a conversation with the raisin. I listened to the raisin as part of a mindful eating exercise in the MBSR (Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction) course I’m currently taking. Have you ever done a mindful eating exercise?… READ MORE…