Our ancestors needed food preservation to survive. The ability to preserve food for later consumption provided protection against unsuccessful hunts and less-than-abundant harvests. In addition, they could move into areas where access to fresh food depended on the time of year. Drying food has many benefits compared to other food preservation methods. Dehydrated food does not require … [Read more...]
Why Is Kale Good for You? The Top Benefits of This True Superfood
Kale is considered to be a cruciferous vegetable, and is part of the family of vegetables known as Brassica. This family includes such things as cauliflower, broccoli, and cabbage. Kale follows all of the other leafy greens in being low in calories, and high in protein and fiber. Kale is also high in vitamins, including A, B, and C. Kale can be eaten as a raw vegetable or a cooked vegetable, and … [Read more...]
Understanding Fat: What Types of Fat Are Good vs Bad for You?
Dietary fat is a type of nutrient that is essential to the body. It is also a type of body tissue. Sometimes it's also an insulting word that people use to describe a body shape. Fat has been vilified in America for the past few decades. This is because studies post-World War II showed that there was an association between high-fat diets and high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol raises the risk of … [Read more...]
Zero Waste Kitchen Tips for the Modern World
In our modern world, there is a lot of waste. This waste is polluting our environment, including the soil, the air, and the water. In terms of plastic alone, the world goes through nine billion tons of it, just in single use containers. The Mariana Trench is the deepest place on earth, and plastic has been found there. It has also been found on top of Mount Everest, and a study found that humans … [Read more...]
7 Healthy Dinner Recipes for Two — Ready in Under 1 Hour!
Meal planning is a way to save both time and money. But there are other advantages beyond that. It can save you the stress that you encounter with last minute cooking, and it can also help with portion control. Meal planning is also good for healthy eating, because you're more likely to buy unhealthy items when shopping at the last minute. When meal planning, a good money saving technique, is to … [Read more...]
How Inflammation Drives Osteoporosis
People are under the impression that the risk of osteoporosis is completely based on calcium intake, but there are also many other factors. These include things like physical activity, diet, and muscle mass. Osteoporosis becomes fairly common as people get older, but it shouldn't be seen as life-threatening. And in an effort to prevent it, people should be working on preserving their bone health … [Read more...]
Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Guacamole
You usually don't see ads for healthy foods on television, but avocados appear to be an exception. Eating avocado with meat can reduce the spike in inflammation one would normally receive. Research shows that peanuts offer similar benefits, reducing the negative effects of drinking a milkshake. Similarly, walnuts have been shown to be beneficial when eaten with salami and cheese. Avocados can have … [Read more...]
Probiotics vs. Antibiotics for Autism
Throughout nature, there are examples of intestinal microbes changing the behavior of the host. One example is an intestinal microbe that affects rodents - it makes the rodent passive to bobcat urine, and they lose their fear of it. This is important, because they are losing their fear of a predator, and won't leave when they smell their scent. This alteration of behavior can also affect humans, … [Read more...]
Clogged Arteries: Causes, Symptoms & Support Strategies
Arteries are the path by which your body carries the oxygen-rich blood to all parts of your body. If your arteries are healthy, the inner walls are smooth, allowing the blood to flow freely. If your arteries aren't healthy, however, the blood can't flow as freely. Clogged arteries are caused by a buildup of plaque. Clogged arteries can increase your risk of several health problems, including heart … [Read more...]
Using Ancient Wisdom To Resist Disease, Heal Quickly, And Age Well
When learning about medicine, it is important to learn from ancient cultures. However, too many people ignore this foundation, and much of the information is being lost. This type of historical medicine, or shamanic medicine, is often based in the use of plants. Plants can be very important for things like fighting stomach bugs, and even recovering from trauma. Plants, in general, can help our … [Read more...]
Metabolic Health Immersion for Medical Education
A study of medical and dental students was done using a continuous glucose monitoring, wearable device. This is also known as a CGM. The device helps the wearer to be more aware of the impact their nutrition choices make on their healthy, specifically how their body metabolizes glucose. A well rounded approach to nutrition awareness helps to benefit the patient by providing them with the device as … [Read more...]
What Is Functional Nutrition?
Functional nutrition is an approach to eating that takes lifestyles into account when making food choices - things like activity levels, chronic illness, and other environmental factors. And while functional nutrition still looks at basic nutritional facts, it does it within the context of the other factors. One advantage of functional nutrition, is that it takes a person's individual needs into … [Read more...]
Melatonin: Health Benefits and How to Optimize Levels
Melatonin is a hormone that is naturally produced within our body by the pineal gland. Melatonin has a direct effect on our sleep pattern and is typically used as a supplement to help people fall asleep. Too much melatonin however is a bad thing as it can cause you to become drowsy and can also lead to headaches and nausea. It is important to optimize the level of melatonin you take via trial and … [Read more...]
Why You Must Supplement with Zinc Every Day
Zinc is one of the most important minerals for people, because it is involved in almost every activity that the body undertakes. But as important as zinc is, it is hard for people to eat enough, because much of the soil has been depleted of it. Because of zinc's importance even to plants, when there isn't enough zinc, plants don't grow well. It is estimated that over two billion people around the … [Read more...]
Chlorella Put to the Test
Because of the lack of efficacy in depression medications, there is a need to find alternatives. One of those alternatives is a green algae called chorella. Chorella has been used in Asian countries for hundreds of years for both medicinal purposes and as a dietary supplement. While there has been some research done about chorella, but the studies haven't been the randomized, double blind, … [Read more...]
Getting Bodybuilding Clients Competition Ready
With the large growth in the fitness industry, a large number of regular people are starting to consider participating in fitness competitions. Sometimes people have succeeded in goals related to weight loss or muscle building, and get enthusiastic enough to want to join the ranks of competitive fitness athletes. There are levels for people who are just getting into fitness competition - there are … [Read more...]
10-Day Kidney Cleanse For Better Energy & Skin Health
Kidneys are located on either side of your spine, underneath the rib cage. The main function of the kidneys is to provide a filtration system for the body. Waste and toxins are filtered out through the kidneys. Beyond just acting as a filtration system, the kidneys are involved in regulating blood pressure as well as regulating the body's salt and potassium levels. There are many vegetables that … [Read more...]
What Is Lycopene & How Can it Benefit Your Health?
Lycopene is an antioxidant, so its job is to neutralize the free radicals in a person's body. This is important, because when free radicals are left alone, they can cause disease. Lycopene is part of the carotenoid family, which means you find it in red and orange vegetables. It is most closely associated with tomatoes. People can't make their own lycopene, which is why it is important to eat … [Read more...]
5 Strategies for Post-Partum Wellness
The postpartum time frame refers to the time period when a new mother is recovering from the fatigue and strain that is associated with giving birth. During this time, it is important for women to take care of themselves, as well as their baby. One important way to take care of yourself is to be kind to yourself. One way to be kind to yourself is to avoid any negative self talk. Another way to … [Read more...]
LESS ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION THANKS TO EXERCISE
Research shows that regular exercise has benefits for psychological health as well as physical health. One study was conducted among patients at a medical center's psychiatric ward. Those who worked out regularly reported improved mood and self-esteem, lower anxiety, and other mental health benefits. Other research has shown that participating in sports or going to the gym is connected with lower … [Read more...]