Browse Immune System and Immunity Enhancement

DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: article found at: dietary sources of glutathione Glutathione (GSH) is an antioxidant and detoxifying agent whose protective role has been demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. GSH is synthesized rapidly in the liver, kidneys, and other tissues of the body, ...DIETARY SOURCES OF GLUTATHIONE: article found at: dietary sources of glutathione

Immunocal bioactive whey protein (which is also called HMS90 in Canada) is a nutritional supplement manufactured by Immunotec Research LTD of Canada. Immunocal bioactive whey protein is a highly concentrated, highly bio-available milk serum isolate which is rich in un-denatured whey proteins ...Immunocal bioactive whey protein (which is also called HMS90 in Canada) is a nutritional supplement manufactured by Immunotec Research LTD of Canada.

Cortisol- the fundamental definition: Cortisol is a hormone produced and released by the adrenal glands of the human body during times of stress, fight or flight. People of all age and sex produce and release this hormone. Triggered by the Hypothalamus of the brain, this hormone prepares the body for fight or flight by increasing blood sugar, activating anti-stress mechanisms and suppressing other bodily functions. Presence of this hormone accelerates food metabolism and slows down bone formation. Who is at risk?

The hypothalamus controls both our nervous system and our endocrine system. Which adds up to pretty much everything that goes on. It’s the tiny king of a vast realm. About the size of an almond and the shape of a little, lumpy pancake, the hypothalamus tucks up under the base of the brain, part of the brain, but unprotected by the blood/brain barrier I think you should stand and salute every time you read the word ‘hypothalamus.’ That would slow things way down, but perhaps you’d end up filled with an appropriate amount of awe.

The pituitary gland is King of the endocrine hill. A tiny teardrop sort of arrangement, the pituitary hangs from the base of the hypothalamus portion of the brain, not too far behind the bridge of the nose, a vulnerable location for such an important actor. Studies link concussions to pituitary damage. One typical study said 68% of people suffering even a mild concussion ended up with a damaged pituitary. My pituitary problems apparently began when a drunk driver hit my parents’ car, and my pliable 11-month-old skill bashed into the door panel.

Getting sick often can be a gentle sign from nature that we need to slow down and invest in self-care. If you’re feeling run down, popping a lemsip and heading back to the office is the complete the opposite of what you should be doing. When we’re sick, we need to slow down, cool off and plug the batteries back in to recharge.rnThese are the top three housekeeping rules for boosting immunity to prevent the winter blues. 1)Drink enough good quality water. Adequate hydratio

One of the many miseries that can accompany a whacked-out thyroid–or any member of the endocrine system, for that matter–is muscle pain. Your muscles knot up. They lose flexibility. You creak like you’re 102. And through it all, you ache. One thing for sure, you don’t want to learn to live like that the rest of your days. Holding on to pain comes under the heading of truly bad ideas. So, what to do?

Vitamin D, the Immune System, and Heart Attack and Atherosclerosis The June 9, 2008 issue of Archives of Inte al Medicine published by the American Medical Association presented the finding of Harvard researchers that men who have deficient vitamin D levels have a greater risk of myocardial infarction (heart ... Vitamin D and Heart Attack and Atherosclerosis

The gonads, testes and ovaries, play a huge role in how the endocrine system works. And we seem to be doing everything we can to put them on the disabled list. We need to talk about this. Everybody has–and needs–estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Now, obviously men and women, boys and girls have different levels of these hormones. But who knows how long that’s going to last? Testosterone levels have fallen way, way down over the last forty years or so. Estrogen levels, meanwhile, have skyrocketed.

So, you go to the doctor and spill your bucket of symptoms–fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, etc. If you happened upon an alert doctor, you’ll get a thyroid test. And you’ll celebrate that help is on the way. Well, maybe. While doctors love blood tests–and disdain symptoms–thyroid tests aren’t reliable. Doctors know this, but they go by the book. But perhaps the test actually says you have a punk thyroid. The doctor prescribes Synthroid, levothyroxin or some other T4 med, assuring you it will fix things. And you celebrate that help is here.

We’ve probably all heard about Omega 3 and Omega 6 fats. And a lot of what we’ve heard is wrong. Not just a little bit wrong, but standing-on-its head wrong. Let’s check this out. With some exceptions, Omega 6 fats come from plants and Omega 3 fats come from animals. Omega 6, the unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats so praised in popular magazines, cause a lot of disease. They come roaring into our bodies, creating inflammation as they go. Inflamed arteries. Inflamed organs. Most dread diseases start with inflammation.

The large pharmaceutical companies–Big Pharma–control medicine in the U.S. And they stand between us and good medical care. Let’s be blunt about it. Big Pharma is all about money. First, last and always, it’s about the money. They dress it up with talk about the frontiers of science, conquering disease, improving life, etc., but it’s not about any of these things. It’s about money. Pharmaceutical companies rake in big, big bucks. And they lavish it around to buy the assurance that a large stream of big bucks will continue to flow through the pipeline.

So, there you are, dragging your patooty through one grey day after another, wondering where your brain went, why your body aches and if you’ll ever feel good again. Even if your doctor checked for thyroid problems, and the flaky blood tests actually found the problem, you probably ended up on the ineffective medicine Synthroid or its generic equivalent. It helps almost nobody. But you don’t have to be hypothyroid to lack energy and joy. Perhaps your thyroid’s in a world of hurt because of what you’ve been doing to it, but it’ll work if you let it.

Doesn’t just about everybody like chicken? And doesn’t it bring up memories of the family around the table, enjoying a wholesome meal and good family time? Chicken’s the inexpensive choice, with thousands upon thousands of recipes singing its praises. Well, those were the good old days. I hate to be the one to break the bad news, but they’ve gone and messed with good old chicken.

In 2009, Ronald Ball bought a can of Mountain Dew from the vending machine at work. One swig, and Good Old Ron was throwing up all over the place, sicker than the proverbial dog. Upon breaking the can open and pouring out its contents for a look-see, what to his wondering eyes did appear but a rat. Well, some reports said it was a mouse, but either way, Yikes! Being a good citizen, he immediately called PepsiCo, maker of Mountain Dew to warn them they might have a problem in their cannery.

So there I was, standing in line at Walmart, waiting to pay for my hair spray. As I checked out the scenery, such as it was, a Woman’s World magazine leapt to my attention. Oh, it wasn’t the cover picture of Oprah. I mean, the magazine rack looked like an Oprah retrospective, or family album or some such. No, it was the headline: “Doctor-recommended home THYROID CURE! Weight gain, fatigue, poor concentration? SOLVED!” Thyroid cure? Solved? And my 30+ years of research hadn’t come across even a hint of a cure?

Gather round as I tell you about something so important that it controls almost everything that goes on inside your body, but so secret that almost nobody knows about it. Oh, a few may know the name of it, but they couldn’t explain it to you–even if you offered them a million dollars. What is this important, mysterious thing? Your endocrine system.

The pancreas is below our stomach, front and center, near the bottom of the rib cage. It may be the busiest twelve inches going. First off, just to make things more complicated (and who in the world thought that was necessary?), the pancreas is both an exocrine and an endocrine organ. The exocrine part comes with the necessary tubing to send digestive enzymes to their designated destination.

Our most well-known endocrine gland is the thyroid. Not nearly as well known is the fact that half the population has thyroid problems, mostly undiagnosed or mistreated. The thyroid, a butterfly-shaped gland located by your Adam’s apple, controls metabolism and affects everything else. You may know about the weight problems, hair loss, brain fog, depression, extreme fatigue, etc. that accompany an underperforming thyroid gland. Some of you have experienced the living on the edge sensation of an overactive thyroid.

Feeling something like the gut might affect most of the functions of our human body. One must know that this gut feeling is relatively linked to our mood, body-weight and overall well beingness. According to scientific research, it is stated that this gut feeling is majorly connected to our brain with the help of an extensive network of neurons and hormones that keeps on providing feedback about the hunger, high stress or healthy digestion.rnSometimes these digestive disturba

We have two adrenal glands, each perched atop a kidney. With your spine dividing your back in two, you can locate a kidney in the middle of each half, with the bottom of the kidney right around the bottom of your rib cage. A few inches above that sits an adrenal gland, topping the kidney like a little beanie.

Gather round and hear the story of how we’re losing a war to an enemy most people don’t know about. The whole thing started in the 1930s when chemical poobahs decided to create a synthetic form of estrogen and make boodles of money with it. And so it was that they created Bisphenol A (BPA). But shortly thereafter the wheels fell off their plan. Turned out their toxic creation did a number on women, even bumping some of them off. Not to worry! Quickly leaping to Plan B, they started spreading the toxin far and wide. And so began the war–and we’re losing.

The short answer is, for people with endocrine problems, detoxing is a foe. Let’s talk about it. Our endocrine system and our gastrointestinal system–that part of us we’re thinking of detoxing–are joined, in a manner of speaking, at the hip. You can’t affect one without affecting the other. Big time. Your gastro system can cause your endo system to falter; your endo system can likewise do a real number on your gastro system. Which makes it sound like cleaning things up can only be good, right?

Although they look tiny, cumin seeds pack a punch when it comes to flavor and nutritional benefits. Extensively used in Indian, Asian, African, and Latin American culinary practices, cumin has a very distinct nutty and peppery flavor. Scientifically known as Cuminum Cyminum, the small oblong spice belongs to the Apiaceae flower family and is native from the east Mediterranean to South Asia. This dried seed has been used for millennia as a traditional ingredient in numerous

You know the world’s upside down when you have to cast a wary at popcorn. Popcorn! What in the world could be wrong with good old popcorn? Well, they’ve gone and messed with it, that’s what. It’s not the simple, innocent, family treat of yesteryear. First off, corn ranks number two in genetically-modified foods. (Soy is first.) They’ll tell you they monkey with it to make it better, but if you believe that, be prepared to pay up for a bridge in Brooklyn, too.

Half of us have thyroid problems–most without realizing it. And thyroid problems can cause high cholesterol levels. Few doctors know this however. Besides, it’s easy to prescribe a statin drug, but harder than blue blazes to figure out thyroid problems. So guess what you’re getting, Bunky! Well, now there’s an oops. Not treating thyroid problems causes big problems. Low thyroid levels–even a little bit low–when left untreated or undertreated double your risk of heart disease–along with a couple hundred other never-wished-for diseases.

According to just about everything to you read or hear, saturated fat is bad, bad, bad. Dietitians say so. Doctors, too. Magazines follow along. Televisions shows such as “The Biggest Loser” agree. It’s kind of like some sort of mantra that gets repeated endlessly. One teensy little problem: Your body doesn’t agree. No way. No how. Not one little bit. Without saturated fat, your brain doesn’t work. And your endocrine glands have no raw material to make their hormones. Plus, you’re hungry all the time.

The government’s food pyramid and leading poobahs recommend that we eat very little protein, which is a no-science, no-facts recipe for disaster. In fact, most politically-correct thinking about health leads to poor health, even disease and death. How much protein you need is a case in point. Without protein, your body’s in a world of hurt. Your brain doesn’t work. Your endocrine system doesn’t work. Your digestion doesn’t work. In short, you feel really crummy.

Bette Dowdell Medicine is a mess. Doctors don’t even try to heal chronic illnesses, content to treat symptoms instead. Probably because that’s all they learned in medical school. But it means their patients--that's us--drag through life, out of gas, running on fumes. Even worse, while some doctors are just bad doctors, more are totally hemmed in by regulations–from government and insurance companies, both of which are in cahoots with Big Pharma.

To most of us, talking about hormones means estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. True enough, they’re hormones, and we all have all of them. Men, women and children have them, in different proportions of course, but none of us can make it without all three working together. But these three aren’t even half the hormone story, just a small part of the endocrine system–the system that keeps life’s wheels turning. And every part of it creates hormones.

What with all the publicity it’s getting lately, it probably won’t come as news to you that coconut oil’s pretty astonishing stuff. A medium-chain saturated fat, wondrous coconut oil blesses the socks off your body. First, since our endocrine system makes its hormones from saturated fat, coconut oil can give sagging glands a boost. Improved metabolism, anybody? More energy? A pumped-up immune system? Coconut oil makes a big endocrine difference.

Have you ever met people committed to the idea that babies arrive as blank slates. Beyond body parts, a lot of noise at one end and foul deeds at the other, babies, they believe, have nothing. No personality. No talents. No will. No inbred likes or dislikes. Just pure nothingness, a blank slate. Babies, all babies they believe, can be whatever you want them to be. You simply take the blank slate and fill it in as you choose.

Have you been reading about phthalate? (Phthal as in thal, rhymes with Hal.) Yikes! Talk about your basic poison! This stuff is murder! Phthalate is a toxic “softener” added to plastics, cosmetics and everything else they can lay their hands on. For starters, it throws the endocrine system–thyroid, adrenals, immune system, etc.–into a total tizzy because it pours bogus estrogen into our bodies. Besides whacking the endo system, bogus estrogen causes inflammation, a major cause of dread diseases. And as with so many things, kids get hit the worse.

People in the health biz throw around the lingo as if everybody has a clue. Well, some do, but some don’t. And even those that do may recognize the word without understanding its meaning. So, lets talk some terminology. Especially about things that drag us down–including body parts that insist on going south–and not just for the winter. We can wrap up disease and aging in just a few words. Not, of course, all the intricacies and complications, but words that should grab out attention and move us to action.

With the holidays comes flu season. Because of this, the foods you choose this month can make or break your merrymaking. See, what you eat can impact your immune system health dramatically. As you’ll soon discover, how you feast this holiday may determine whether you spend a week on the couch fighting the flu . . . or celebrating. But don’t worry –we’ve got you covered. By getting extra helpings of the 5 immune-supporting foods I mention here, you’ll be giving your

Hydrocortisone, otherwise referred to as cortisol, is known to play vital functions in the body's response to threats. The glucocorticoid is primarily released to counter stress, and achieves that through a number of responses - increases blood sugar, represses the immune system, and increases metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

All proteins are not created equal. For instance, animal protein provides more health benefits than plant protein. To make the imbalance larger, a lot of plant protein comes from soy. Besides not having the oomph of animal protein, soy is really hard on the body. It beats up your thyroid, absorbs needed minerals from your body, causes kidney stones, throws your hormones out of whack with bogus estrogen, and on, and on. And most soy is genetically-modified. While we won’t know the results of this medical experiment for years, ominous signs about damaging our DNA are everywhere.

Prescription drugs are dangerous, a leading cause of death year in and year out. Some drugs slay you in one fell swoop, but most just nibble your health away. To give you examples, I went to a health site that lists drug side effects. Since I write about the endocrine system, I looked at http://ehealthme.com/symptom/thyroid+disorder for information about prescription meds that stomp on the thyroid.

In The Blank Slate Myth, I talked about parents who see newbo babies as blank slates, an invitation to push, pull and otherwise shape their kids to fit their parental fancies. Well, good luck with that. And parents aren't the only blank-slate believers. Hoo boy! Medicine comes chock-a-block full of blank-slate types. That's what they know, and that's what they do. And if things don't work out, well it's your fault, not theirs. Prominent in the blank-slate parade are dietitians.

Medicos diagnose and treat symptoms. All day, every day, only symptoms matter. The cause of the symptoms gets scant, if any, attention. But putting Band-Aids on symptoms–which I call the patch, patch, patch approach–doesn’t work. For instance, diabetes shows up when the body can’t handle the sugar that comes its way. Doctors prescribe drugs–with mind-boggling side effects it must be said–to lower blood sugar levels. They do nothing to address what causes the problem. So diabetics drag along year after year, always headed downhill, with one problem after another.

The crusade against cholesterol seems to be losing steam, so the poobahs are working on the real cause of heart problems. WooHoo! You shouldn’t hold your breath, howsomever. First off, cholesterol drugs bring in really, really big bucks, and that won’t stop until patients start refusing statin drugs. Which won’t be any time soon because patients have been scared silly. Second, the search for a big-money drug to replace statins isn’t going well.

Enough with the fluoride already! Communities began adding fluoride to our drinking water based on “scientific” studies–which turned out to be bogus–claiming fluoride would protect our teeth from cavities. Based on the same “science,” companies put the stuff in toothpaste. Fact is, fluoride ...Enough with the fluoride already! Communities began adding fluoride to our drinking water based on “scientific” studies–which turned out to be bogus–claiming fluoride would protect our teeth from cavities. Based on the same “science,” companies put the stuff in toothpaste.

On May 1, 2013, neuroscientists announced, in the journal Nature, that the hypothalamus is important. Well, yeah! That baby is part of the brain and controls both the nervous system and the endocrine system, which, in turn, control everything that happens in our bodies. I think we can all agree that controlling the universe is important. However, the nervous system and endocrine system didn't really get a mention in the article. The study concluded the hypothalamus alone controlled aging.

Half of us have thyroid problems, mostly undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. A whacked out thyroid tends to drag down the whole endocrine system, of which it is a part. In turn, a misbehaving endocrine system can drag along all kinds of stuff. Stuff you’d never in a million years figure out had anything to endocrine issues. For one instance, allergies get an open invitation to drop by any time. And mercy me, drop by they do. And stay.

Disease rates are rocketing to the moon, with no slowdown in sight, because we don’t know how our bodies work. Most of what we’ve been taught is wrong, and doctors, cornered by insurance companies into ten-minute office visits, simply don’t have time to offer instruction. When it comes to keeping our bodies in working order, we’re pretty much on our own. So let’s talk about one of the basics: Enzymes. Simply speaking, enzymes are proteins that spur chemical reactions to completion.

Perhaps you noticed that I didn’t joined “The sky is falling!” crowd worried about fallout from Japan’s triple disasters. You know, like the warnings to start gobbling down potassium iodide by the handful. Well, actually, while iodide’s great stuff, potassium iodide is a kinda cheap form of it, and getting too much can backfire on your thyroid–among other body parts. Cheap never pays off. And taking action only after disaster strikes, while better than nothing I guess, doesn’t really get the job done. Nutritional supplements don’t play a very good game of catch-up.

Medical research is beginning to look more and more like an old Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney movie. A problem rears its ugly head, our plucky protagonists put on a show, the amazingly talented cast of friends and neighbors sings and dances its way to the finale–after which everybody lives happily ever after. Or maybe they rolled the credits before reality set in. That’s what’s happening in medicine. Let’s talk about a recent example.

If you’ve read much of my stuff, you know that I do go on–and on–about the evils of soy. Why is soy bad? Besides stealing all your minerals, giving you kidney stones and depressing your thyroid function something fierce, soy is, among other things, estrogenic. That is, it adds bogus estrogen to your system. The bogus estrogen takes over, your real estrogen becomes homeless and wanders around causing problems. Read on to see what I mean by ‘problems.’ Scary stuff. And soy isn’t the only thing that floods us with pseudo estrogen.

Did you know that some animals produce their own Vitamin C? They never get heart disease. No atherosclerosis. No heart attacks. Just singing a song all the day long. Sad to report, humans aren’t part of that happy group. Heart disease runs rampant amongst humans. Hark, Sherlock, might that not ...Did you know that some animals produce their own Vitamin C? They never get heart disease. No atherosclerosis. No heart attacks. Just singing a song all the day long.

So, there you are, dragging your patooty and wondering what in the world happened to you. A friend suggests that you probably have thyroid problems. Another friend jumps in to say, no, you probably have adrenal problems. So you poke around the internet, getting nowhere. When they talk about the adrenal glands, they seem to repeat everything they say about the thyroid. And vice versa. Truth to tell, the symptoms do overlap, sort of like a plate of spaghetti. They’re all over the place, and it’s hard to tell one from another.

Or, for that matter, does God understand what’s going on in the life of a road warrior sales person? Or life on a clanging, banging, push, push, push assembly line? Or on an oil rig? As part of a building crew? To tell the truth, the God of our Sunday School days kind of comes across as a part ...Or, for that matter, does God understand what’s going on in the life of a road warrior sales person? Or life on a clanging, banging, push, push, push assembly line? Or on an oil rig? As part of a building crew?

It interferes with thyroid function. It gets estrogen and testosterone out of whack. It puts a hurt on your immune system by messing with your thymus gland. It increases your chances of becoming resistant to antibiotics. It sets your kids up for asthma and infections. And it’s probably in your house right now. It’s triclosin–the health scourge that almost nobody’s heard about. And it’s everywhere.

We're surrounded by health enemies, and that's a fact. Trouble is, they seem like such a part of everyday life, we don't realize they might not be friends. One enemy was born in 1974, fluorescent lights. First, it was long tubes; now it's curly-cue bulbs. Trouble, I say you've got trouble–because they all contain mercury. And they sit around giving off mercury vapors, even when they're off.

The old curse says “May you live in interesting times.” Well, ‘interesting’ is one way to describe the times we live in. ‘Mind boggling’ might be another. In either case, I think my head’s going to explode. Let’s talk about the new ugly of body fat. Researchers discovered leptin in 1994, and it turned medicine upside down. The research flying out of labs around the world makes Vesuvius look like a piker. The National Institutes of Health alone has produced more than a million reports. My Google alert for leptin brings pages of news every day.

Fish oil’s good for you. Everybody says so. Yeah, fish oil, that’s the ticket. Well, what about all the warnings about mercury in fish? Okay then, flaxseed’s good for you. Everybody says so. Yeah, flaxseed, that’s the ticket. Begging your pardon and all, but there’s a teensy problem with ...Fish oil’s good for you. Everybody says so. Yeah, fish oil, that’s the ticket. Well, what about all the warnings about mercury in fish? Okay then, flaxseed’s good for you. Everybody says so. Yeah, flaxseed, that’s the ticket.

I ran into an acquaintance at a conference the other day. We got to talking about vitamins. (Somehow I always end up talking about vitamins; I could bore a stone.) Doctors recently installed her second pacemaker. She said her ejection fraction–the force with which her heart pumps blood–was ten. Normal is fifty and north; zero is dead. Lunch came with the conference, and she wondered if she dared eat anything since the doctor told her to avoid salt.

Medicine sees our various body parts as separate and entire unto themselves. Each speciality treats a specific body part–with almost no reference to anything else. There’s no point in asking, say, a heart doctor about your digestion. Heart doctors don’t do digestion. And while nobody can know and treat everything, the one-part-at-a-time approach leads to bad choices and bad health. Years ago the poet Donne wrote, “No man is an island, entire unto itself.” Were Donne alive today, perhaps he’d add something about no body part being an island, either.

Overview Listeriosis is a food-borne infection or illness which is caused by bacterium Listeria monocytogenes . Healthy people usually experience minor to no symptoms if and when exposed to bacteria. Listeriosis affects people with compromised immune systems, especially the elderly, pregnant females and their foetus and new-borns. Listeria bacteria are not contagious, and except for pregnant women and their foetus or new-born, there is no direct transfer of Listeria from huma

If you belong to the longer-is-better treadmill school of thought, you might want to reconsider. And if long distance running takes your time, you really need to think it through. Especially if you buy into the idea of high carb fueling. High carb fueling burns the fire hotter, that’s for sure. It also leaves behind more ashes, aka free radicals, as it whips your endocrine system along. As popular as it is, high carb fueling lacks a scientific basis. Fans, yes. Science, no. But I digress. I’m here to discuss endlessly flogging your body along.

I tell you true, our bodies are a wonder. Leading the parade of wonder is our endocrine system, a model of intricate cooperation. Part of the endocrine system, the immune system, is a complex mystery all on its own. And a part of the immune system, the lymphatic system, raises mind-boggling to a whole new level. So you'll probably be happy to hear that I'm not going to try to march you through the swamp of how it all works. But we do need to know a few things.

Wanna choose sides in the latest autism war? One side says the mother’s lack of Vitamin D during pregnancy causes autism, while the other side says it’s the glutamate that’s in the many immunization shots babies and young children receive. Let’s take a look-see. Autism comes from brain ...Wanna choose sides in the latest autism war? One side says the mother’s lack of Vitamin D during pregnancy causes autism, while the other side says it’s the glutamate that’s in the many immunization shots babies and young children receive. Let’s take a look-see.

Doritos Well, looky here! I read that the CEO of Frito/Lay describes Doritos as a ‘healthful snack.’ Well, I had to check that out. Who knows? Maybe I could start eating Doritos. So off to the web! Holey Moley! It takes a special kind of dictionary to describe Doritos as healthful. Let’s a quick look at just some of the ingredients, in the order listed on the label, and you’ll see what I mean.

Can we all get over our fixation on cholesterol? I mean, now that it’s clear that cholesterol isn’t what’s causing heart disease? But, but, but, if cholesterol is building up in my arteries, doesn’t that mean cholesterol’s the problem? Actually, no. Your cholesterol is simply trying to patch ...Can we all get over our fixation on cholesterol? I mean, now that it’s clear that cholesterol isn’t what’s causing heart disease? But, but, but, if cholesterol is building up in my arteries, doesn’t that mean cholesterol’s the problem?

Worried about staying healthy? Want to improve your immune system strength? I’m about to reveal the one thing in particular you can do to boost your immune system health.rnReduce stress. Stress undermines your immune system in multiple ways, making it hard for your defenses to protect you adequately from the threats to your health all around you. The American Medical Association reports that 80-85% of doctor visits can be traced back to stress.[1] You may think viruses and

You want dumb as a brick? You want too dense to get out of their own way? Get yourself some sheep. Quarry rocks have higher IQs than sheep. In any cavalcade of dumb things, sheep always lead the parade. Animal lovers argue about animal intelligence. Pigs, they say, are really intelligent. ...You want dumb as a brick? You want too dense to get out of their own way? Get yourself some sheep. Quarry rocks have higher IQs than sheep. In any cavalcade of dumb things, sheep always lead the parade.

Good health requires protein. It’s protein that repairs the cells in our body, builds and maintains our muscles and bones, gives us energy and rides herd over a lot of what goes on inside us. And it’s protein that keeps our endocrine system chugging along. Diets with inadequate protein lead down a dreary path to incapacity.

A daily dose of vitami C and regular handwashing are both good methods to boost our immune system. Those simple and effective ways to keep us healthy are important, especially during cold and flu season when we need extra help to fight the spread of illness. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh may have uncovered the simplest and most accessible way to strengthen our immune system – a hug! A good, old-fashioned embrace with a friend or loved one can work w

When it comes to thriving with a chronic illness such as an auto-immune disease and overcoming fatigue, I find most people want a silver bullet. People want just one thing they can do to feel better. In many respects, diet seems to be the easiest, or at least the first one people reach for. I did when trying to heal from multiple sclerosis and re-energize.

My three-year-old niece Rachel came to live with us the on the same day we moved from New York to our new home in Connecticut. Nobody really planned it that way; it just happened. Ten-year-old Chrissie already had the willys about the move, and eight-year-old Charles didn’t lag far behind in the negative vibe department. Adding a three-year-old to the household took them to the heights of misgiving.

Super foods, by definition, have more nutrition per ounce than your average health food. Most health foods strut around, proud as a peacock of their power and glory, but when a super food shows up, they fold up their tails and take a back seat. Now, I’m talking a real super food. Some people get all giddy and call anything with a trace of nutrition a super food. Not a chance. Even many of the foods known for their nutritional power, blueberries, for instance, can’t really be called super foods. Good, yes. Super, well no.

There are many advantages of using a soap dispenser regardless of if you choose to use one both at home and at work. Not only will the sink get dirty and disgusting while using a bar of soap, it unhygienic. Some individuals don’t feel comfortable using a bar of soap that everyone else has used. While keeping a bath room much cleaner, soap dispenser also eliminate harmful bacteria. There are plenty of other advantages. Dispensers have a large capacity which means they are lo

Benzodiazepines are prescription medications that fall into the classification of Anti-Anxiety Agents. A few that you will be familiar with include Valium, Xanax, and Ativan. These prescription medications are typically used for anxiety and as a sleep aid. The major drawback with Benzodiazepines, as you may know, are prescription medications that fall into the classification of Anti-Anxiety Agents. A few that you will be familiar with include Valium, Xanax, and Ativan. These prescription medications are typically used for anxiety and as a sleep aid.

Parsley is the Rodney Dangerfield of herbs; it gets no respect. Probably not even from Rodney Dangerfield. We’re talking NO respect. Once upon a time, most restaurants used parsley as a perky, colorful accompaniment on your plate, whatever you ordered. Most eaters ignored it, though, pretty much ending the parsley era. We need to reconsider our attitude here. Parsley is a nutritional powerhouse. And, better yet, a little dab’ll do ya. In fact, it would be hard to munch through a dollar’s worth in a week. So let’s talk about parsley. The Practicality of Parsleyr

Laminine is an extract derived from fertilized organic hen eggs at a critical stage of incubation (on the 9th day). The use of fertilized egg extracts in medicine and nutrition dates back to 1929, and scientific studies on this unique supplement have been published in numerous peer-review jou als. Laminine is fat-free and cholesterol-free, as it is a lyophilized (freeze-dried) undenatured extract of the whites of hen's eggs raised under organic or free-range standards in Norway, where salmonella is virtually non-existent.

We’re way too casual about concussions. In fact, when I suffered a concussion in a car accident a few years back, the doctor didn’t tell me. And when I asked, she told me it wasn’t important. And she was wrong. Concussions are huge. You see, most concussions damage the pituitary gland, sometimes temporarily, sometimes not. If you don’t take care of business in treating your concussion, you move toward permanent. If you get repeated concussions, you almost surely end up with permanent pituitary damage.

People used to call bread “the staff of life.” But those days seem to be gone forever. Bread is now a problem of life. Let me count the ways. • Celiac disease: Caused by an intolerance to gluten–part and parcel of grains–celiac disease gets diagnosed a lot as irritable bowel syndrome, sometimes as colitis. Which can mean a digestive system that demands a whole lot of attention and action. Or it can mean a brain that doesn’t quite function. Symptoms vary, but those are the top two.

Carve this in stone: Your body will balance itself no matter what you think, do or say. This is one of the many things they don’t teach us in school. And I’ve never seen a headline about it on a magazine cover, either. It seems to be somebody’s secret, but we need to let that cat out of the bag right now. This is important stuff. For instance, your body insists the calcium in your body be balanced with the magnesium in your body. Well, everybody’s heard about taking calcium to protect your bones, so we piously chug down calcium and wish our bones well. Not so fast, Chester.

So, there you are, dragging your patooty through one grey day after another, wondering where your brain went, why your body aches and if you’ll ever feel good again. Even doctors who test for thyroid problems typically prescribe the ineffective medicine Synthroid or its generic equivalent. It helps almost nobody. On the other hand, it can cause allergic reactions, making patients feel even worse. Doctors, state medical boards and, notoriously, the FDA need to work this out by letting the sunlight of truth into their considerations. I recommend, however, that you don’t hold your breath.r

The labels on baby shampoos sure sound good. Gentle. Non-irritating. Everything a good mother could want. And some have pictures of smiling, happy babies to seal the deal. Most of those labels don’t tell the truth. They can’t, because if moms knew the truth, they wouldn’t buy the shampoo. Why not? Most baby shampoos–most shampoos for any age–contain sodium lauryl sulfate or its equally ugly cousins sodium laureth sulfate or ammonium lauryl sulfate.

Some years ago, self-appointed busybodies screamed and yelled and hollered about McDonalds using beef fat to cook their fries. Deciding ahead of time that McDonalds was evil incarnate, they accused McDonalds of purposely risking our very lives with saturated fat. And so it was in 1990 that McDonalds switched to trans-fats. The busybodies who suggested that action took a bow. Well, now, there’s an oops! Trans-fats, liquid vegetable oils shot through with hydrogen to make them solid at room temperature–and to extend shelf life–are an unmitigated disaster.