Category: Fitness & Nutrition

Nature Can Boost Health of People in Cities

Your local city park may improve your health, according to a new study. The research shows how access to nature in cities increases physical activity and, therefore, overall health. Lack of physical activity in the United States results in $117 billion per year in related health care costs and leads to 3.2 million deaths globally…


Enjoy These 9 Foods for a Late-Spring Detox

Even though spring has almost passed, it’s still a great time to lighten up and start fresh. This is the season to clean things out, whether that be your home or the sluggishness that comes from eating poorly the previous year. Now is the time to favor seasonal fruits and veggies over meat and starches….


Coping With the Oxygen Paradox

Oxygen is essential to our survival, and yet this toxic, mutagenic, and highly reactive gas also has the capacity to destroy us. The destructive side of oxygen is called oxidation. Slow oxidation turns cut apples brown and hard metal brittle with rust. Rapid oxidation destroys things more quickly, in an exothermic chemical process of combustion,…


Boost Dopamine Naturally for Better Motivation and Focus

It’s time to get the scoop on dopamine, a substance in your brain that is also known as the motivation molecule. Your body is home to about 60 different molecules known as neurotransmitters that transfer information between your brain cells and your body. We’re writing about dopamine because, well, we were motivated! What Are Neurotransmitters?…


Simple Ways to Avoid Athletic Injuries

Whether you’re a weekend warrior or you get your exercise walking the dog, chances are that if you’re physically active, at some point you’ve been on the receiving end of an athletic injury. Believe me, there is nothing worse than to be hobbled by an injury just before your big tournament, an active vacation, or…


Mothers’ Milk Positive for Chemicals Causing Birth Defects

In the 20th century, scientists developed a group of complex, manmade chemicals called per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). In the past decade, researchers have found these chemicals contaminating drinking water and the environment. Current research measures them at alarming rates in breast milk. The properties of these substances include oil and water repellency, temperature resistance,…


Make Wise Decisions Based on Facts About COVID-19

With all the attention on the pandemic, it’s amazing how little people still know about the novel coronavirus. COVID-19 is one of seven types of known human coronaviruses. Like the MERS and SARS coronaviruses, it may have evolved from a virus previously found in animals. These other known coronaviruses cause a significant percentage of colds…


Stretching Can Increase Your Tolerance for Pain

To stretch or not to stretch? Should you do it before or after exercise? Does it prevent or heal injuries? Stretching is always a hot topic. However, while it’s effective in improving flexibility, its usefulness in reducing pain is being questioned. Back pain is one of the most prevalent health conditions in our society. Up…


Maintain a Healthy Weight With These Natural Antiobesity Agents

Mother Nature is all about balance, but the pace of modern life can cause you to feel a bit tilted at times. If you’re struggling with maintaining a healthy weight—or even if you have only a few pounds to lose—these six natural antiobesity agents can help you shift the scale into equilibrium. 1. Cinnamon This…


Healing a Lifetime

Sometimes a patient needs to heal an entire lifetime. Take, for example, the all too typical patient that I see at the clinic: in their 60s, overweight, struggling with high blood pressure, and seeking acupuncture for joint pain. Upon consultation, I listen to the story of a lifetime of poor choices that include eating the…