Health

A recent Huffington Post1 article penned by David Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, highlights the dire problems we face as pesticide use on genetically engineered crops continue to rise.

It’s quite shocking to realize that the way we grow food in the US, as well as many other regions of the world, is producing a toxic legacy that our descendants will undoubtedly struggle with as time goes on…

Many spices have powerful medicinal properties, which is why they’ve been used to promote healing for thousands of years prior to the advent of patented synthetic drugs.

Some spices are clearly more useful than others, and one “star player” within Nature’s pharmacy is turmeric, a yellow-pigmented curry spice often used in Indian cuisine. Turmeric also has a long history of medicinal use in traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda…

The majority of health care expenditures (75 percent) in the US are spent on preventable diseases, while only 3 percent of such expenditures are invested in disease-prevention programs, according to a new report funded by the Council for Responsible Nutrition Foundation (CRNF).1

At the heart of such programs should be, undoubtedly, attention to proper nutrition. And when I say “proper,” I’m referring to whole foods, including not only plenty of vegetables but also healthy fats like organic…

Those silver mercury fillings whose vapors readily pass through cell membranes, across your blood-brain barrier, and into your central nervous system? The damage doesn’t stop there.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently cited studies showing that approximately half of the mercury in the environment is there due to dental offices’ amalgam (i.e. silver filling) waste.

Obesity is a frequently overlooked factor that can contribute to an increased cancer risk, yet less than 10 percent of Americans are aware of this link.1 According to the National Cancer Institute,2 an estimated 84,000 annual cancer cases are linked to obesity.

Obesity may also affect the efficacy of cancer treatments. With rising obesity rates among young children in particular, it’s becoming really important to understand this link…

Aging

Last month’s National Honeybee Day (August 16) marked the sixth annual event – a day started by beekeepers to build community awareness of the bee industry. This year’s theme, “Sustainable Gardening Begins with Honey Bees,” showed that concerned citizens are increasingly getting involved in efforts to save the bees.

While beekeeping is most often thought of in regard to large farms and agriculture, bees are important to each and…

Are you often anxious, fearful, and moody? Do you worry often or have feelings of envy, jealousy, and loneliness? These are characteristics of neuroticism, a personality trait might increase your risk of Alzheimer’s disease significantly.

The association between neuroticism and Alzheimer’s later in life was so strong that researchers suggested people with such traits seek cognitive behavioral therapy to help reduce their risk…

About two-thirds of US children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) take some form of prescription medication to treat it. While ADHD makes it difficult for children to pay attention and control impulsive behavior, powerful stimulant drugs like Ritalin and Adderall help to improve focus and self-control.

The drugs come at a price, however, since many of the side effects are worse than ADHD itself (think brain damage, personality changes, sudden death…

If you live in the US, there’s a good chance your bathroom does not contain a bidet. Yet, if you travel to certain parts of Europe, South America, the Middle East, or Japan, bidets are commonplace – and they wouldn’t have it any other way.

For those who aren’t familiar with how they work, a bidet looks similar to a toilet but it is designed to help you freshen up after toilet use. Most modern bidets have one or more jets that spray water, allowing you to straddle the device for a cleansing far superior to toilet paper…

If you live in the US, you may regard pumpkins primarily as an ornamental squash, and use them to decorate your home for fall or carve into a jack-o-lantern on Halloween. However, the vast majority of pumpkins are grown not for ornamental use but for eating.

Most pumpkin that is processed is made into canned pumpkin and canned pumpkin pie mix, but you can also purchase fresh “pie” pumpkins and puree the flesh yourself. There is, of course, far more to do with pumpkin than make pumpkin pie…