Article Summary:

• Overcoming this debilitating condition begins with rebuilding the intestinal wall, de-inflaming the body, and optimizing vitamin D levels. Rebuilding the intestinal wall is both the first and the most critical step to overcoming this condition.
• Besides correcting the dietary imbalances, skeletal and muscular issues can be addressed through chiropractic, bodywork like massage and trigger point therapy, and regular exercise like walking, yoga and swimming.

• An anti-inflammatory diet and lifestyle are critical for full recovery from these conditions. Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and give it a more accurate pair of eyes so as to not over-inflame when stimulated. Anti-inflammatory foods help to modulate the immune system and reduce inflammatory activity in the body.

Article Summary:

• There has been surprisingly little research about using vinegar for therapeutic health purposes, there are numerous dramatic claims about it.
• These claims and studies suggest raw apple cider vinegar may help with: Diabetes and weight loss, reducing allergies and candida, detoxing, balancing ph in the body, as well as a host of other conditions.
• Raw apple cider vinegar also has many household uses, such as a cleaner, vegetable wash, shampoo and pet care.
  
  

Article Summary:

It is no surprise to many of us that when it comes to nutrition, we are being continually misled by the mainstream media. We have been told that eggs cause heart disease, then that they are good for you. The same story with bacon, then coffee, the list goes on to a daily deluge of savvy marketing disguised as “the truth” about nutrition. So who do you believe? How do you know who to trust with your health?

If you're a seasonal allergy sufferer, you know that few things can drain the joy out of spring and summertime like the misery of red, itchy eyes, continuous sneezing and post-nasal drip. Airborne pollen is the most common cause of seasonal allergies, also known as hay fever or allergic rhinitis. Allergies can mean more than general misery for asthma sufferers, whose bouts can be much worse during allergy season—even life-threatening, in some cases. Allergy-driven asthma affects 10 million Americans, rates that have doubled since 1980.

Most of us ignore our digestive system unless there’s a problem. For whatever reason, we rarely consider the role it plays in our overall health. But if it isn’t functioning the way it should be, life can be miserable.

By now most people have heard about a “paleo”, “primal”, or “caveman” diet, but what is it really all about? One of the most thorough looks into "Stone Age" nutrition was done by Dr. Loren Cordain, author of The Paleo Diet and considered to be one of the world's leading experts on Paleolithic nutrition.

Unfortunately, modern life isn’t very friendly to the human libido. Contemporary challenges to a healthy sex drive are many: obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal exhaustion, poor nutrition, prescription medications, hormonal birth control, too much stress, and too little sleep.

Chronic inflammatory diseases are a common day epidemic. Every year the number of individuals with debilitating chronic inflammatory diseases such as irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, mental depressive conditions, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome grow.

Not surprisingly, the most important thing a woman can do when she finds out she is pregnant is eat nutrient dense foods. Despite the fact that food cravings are real, and that most women will gain at least 30 pounds while pregnant, pregnancy is not an excuse to eat whatever you want- it is instead the most important time to truly nourish yourself and your baby.

With all the propaganda about plant based diets, I believe most people are unaware of how nutrient deficient a strict vegan diet can be, without substantial thought and planning.

For those of you that are just ready to have more energy and feel better, I’ve put together a review of the best and worst ways to stay hydrated, improve your metabolism and recover from your workouts. From Vitamin Water to Gatorade, mineral water to alkaline water, the unfounded health claims, misinformation and mega-marketing campaigns abound, leaving most Americans flat out dazed and confused when it comes to hydration. But the good news is that with a little common sense and self-awareness, you can learn what beverages, and how much, is right for you.

As another year begins, we all look for ways to “start anew”, ways to improve our health and reach our personal goals. Here are some tools to help you shift your focus from "external validation" (such as the bathroom scale and the opinions of others) to that of "internal validation" and the true source of lasting change in your life, yourself!

Although many new studies support what your grandparents knew, there is still a major misconception and a lot of misinformation promoted by the media that you must avoid foods like eggs and saturated fat to protect your heart. While it's true that fats from animal sources contain cholesterol, this is not necessarily a health hazard.

Another Holiday Season is here, often the shopping flurry increased as we tried to find that “perfect gift” for our spouse, children, relatives and friends. Sometimes our Holiday can become about “things” that we give and “things” that we get.

The Amazing Health Benefits of Bone Broth

There are many delicious ways to improve your health, and a great place to start, believe it or not, is with good ole fashioned bone broth. For thousands of years bone broths have provided essential minerals and nutrients to our ancestors worldwide, and they are still part of every known culinary tradition on earth. Bone broth is a flavorful liquid made by boiling the bones of just about any vertebrate you can think of, typically poultry, beef, venison, bison, lamb, or fish, in water for an extended period of time, typically anywhere from 6 to 72 hours depending upon the bones used.  

Often seasonal vegetables and herbs are added for flavor and increased nutrition, such as carrots, onion, celery, garlic and bay leaves can be added too.  In order to allow the nutrient-rich marrow to cook into the broth, the large bones from mammals should be sawed open, while smaller bones from fowl and fish can be can be cooked whole, and you can use an assortment depending upon what is available. The addition a tablespoon or two of organic unpasteurized raw apple cider vinegar or wine to the water prior to cooking also helps to draw out important nutrients from the bones. After simmering on low for up to 3 days, the used bones and vegetables are strained from the liquid and typically discarded.  

The resulting savory liquid is called “broth” or “stock” and is incredibly rich in numerous antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. You can easily make bone broth at home, use it as soup stock for all types of dishes, and even use it during a fast to give your body ample nourishment.

Bone broth is especially rich in calcium, magnesium and phosphorous - which are all essential for bone health. Bone broth also contains collagen that strengthens tendons, joints, ligaments, and skin, making it strong and supple and helping to reducing wrinkles and cellulite. The high levels of glycine in bone broth are also known to inhibit over activity of the immune system, reduce inflammation, and promote healthy digestion by healing the lining of the gut.  Whether you are trying to heal from an infection, address an auto-immune disease, or reduce inflammation, high levels of dietary glycine are critical and bone broth provides a delicious way to improve those conditions.

The most important thing to keep in mind when making bone broth is to make sure that all bones are sourced from animals that not been given hormones or antibiotics, are grass-fed and grass-finished, or pastured and free-range. If making a bone broth from fish, make sure that it was wild-caught, not farm raised. Remember, everything that the animal ate, how it lived, and where it lived will factor into the health benefits of your broth and directly affect your health. Click on "Organic and Local Sources" on the main page of our website, then click on "Local Harvest" it is a great reference for finding quality bones from local farmers, ranchers, and whole foods markets- just be sure to verify quality before you buy.

Like it or not, it’s that time of year again- cold and flu season. We all know it, because most everyone during the fall or winter season has succumbed to the viral malady that can last 1-2 weeks and cause sneezing, scratchy throat, low energy, stuffy head, and a runny nose.

You don’t have to buy into the myth that unprocessed whole foods are expensive? If you looking for ways to eat more healthfully, but are concerned about the cost, here are easy ideas for helping you eat delicious food while also managing your time and your budget

• Click below if you want to find out how.

Eating healthier starts with cooking healthier dishes, and in order to make healthier dishes you must use healthier ingredients. Healthy ingredients are “real foods” in and of themselves, such as butter and cream, as opposed to refined and processed compilations of denatured food products, additives and preservatives, such as canned cream of mushroom soup.

These days, most of us know that what we eat (including what your food has eaten!) has a profound impact on our health. The old saying "You Are What You Eat" has never before carried such weight.