Depression and Anxiety
The stats are staggering: 1 in 4 American adults have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder of some kind. For children, it’s 1 in 5. More than 60 Million Americans suffer from either anxiety or depression. 1 in 10 Americans currently takes at least one antidepressant prescription medication daily. Since the year 2000, the use of prescription antidepressants has increased more than 200%. Antidepressant prescription sales alone now top $2 BILLION annually! Pre-schoolers are the fastest-growing market for antidepressants. And on, and on,...
read moreSimple Steps to Improve Sleep
Insomnia and sleep deprivation are HUGE problems in our stressed out, high-pressure, chronically-fatigued American culture. “Sleep Hygiene” — Things you can do to improve your sleep. • Try to maintain a steady schedule: rising and going to bed at the same time each day. • Avoid distractions when it’s time to sleep – No TV, radios, or laptops. (In fact, such devices produce an electromagnetic field that reduces your body’s ability to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps you feel drowsy.) • Keep the room as dark as...
read moreWhy We Need Sleep
This has long been a mystery. While various theories have been proposed, one thing is certain: Sleep is NOT a time of inactivity. Not at all. It’s actually an incredibly active process. There’s a lot, a LOT, going on when we go “lights out.” To begin, not all sleep is created equal. Each night, if all goes well, sleep progresses through distinct and predictable stages. Different things happen in each stage. Dreams, for example, occur almost exclusively in REM sleep. Without adequate time in Stages 3 and 4, we never feel truly...
read moreBenefits of Folic Acid
HEART HEALTH: Among all the B-Vitamins, Folic Acid (also known as Vitamin B9) is especially important for heart health. While cholesterol has long been believed to be a risk factor for heart disease, few people have heard of a potentially more significant risk factor: HOMOCYSTEINE. Elevated homocysteine levels damage arteries and reflect metabolic dysfunction that can cause a number of diseases, including heart disease. Folic acid lowers homocysteine levels. COLON CANCER: Folic acid deficiency is associated with an increased risk of colon...
read moreNutrition Basics: A Healthy Dose of Skepticism
For the past 30 years or so, we’ve heard the same “low fat” message over and over again. When it comes to weight loss, go easy on the fat. Low fat is good. No fat is best. Read the label. Always read the label. The only problem is this: it doesn’t work. Over that same 30 year period, America has grown fat. We’ve become a nation obese. Addressing this apparent disconnect, those defending the “low fat” mantra simply tell us that we’re not disciplined enough. We aren’t trying hard enough. We’re really...
read moreReversing Hearing Loss?
Hearing loss can be devastating. Its effects: diminished self-confidence compromised social skills, and a sense of isolation. There are two types of hearing loss. Most commonly, the loss that comes with aging, called “presbycusis,” initially affects high-pitched (high frequency) sounds and progressively worsens over time. More rarely, hearing loss can occur abruptly, affecting either or both ears, and may produce a sense of disorientation and even dizziness. This rarer form is called “sensorineural” hearing loss. Just because we can...
read moreChelation Done Right
Heavy metal toxicity is highly under-diagnosed. Mercury, arsenic, and lead are among the most common, but by no means the only, culprits. Symptoms are myriad and, if not addressed, may become permanent. Testing for heavy metal toxicity is simple and, for most people, very inexpensive. Chelation is an effective way of ridding the body of heavy metal toxicity. Chelation involves introducing into the body any of a number of “chelating agents” specifically designed to bind a particular metal in such a way that it can then be eliminated via...
read moreAndropause: Turning Back the Clock
Everyone knows about menopause. As women age, estrogen and progesterone levels decline. When they fall far enough, symptoms develop: irregular menses, fatigue, hot flashes, memory lapses, mood swings, hair loss, insomnia, bloating, poor libido, and more. As it is with women, so it is with men. As it is with menopause, so it is with “andropause.” With men, the primary hormone involved is testosterone (T). The symptoms of low T? Poor libido, fatigue, muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, depression, insomnia, mood swings, memory lapses,...
read moreA Functional Approach to Healthy Cholesterol
Healthy cholesterol? Isn’t cholesterol bad? Not at all! In fact, cholesterol plays a very important role in every cell in your body. Without cholesterol, cell membranes cease to function, and vitamin D and hormone production comes screeching to a halt. So cholesterol is actually a good thing … as long as it’s where it’s supposed to be and isn’t where it’s not supposed to be. Like so many things, it’s a matter of balance. Cholesterol, you see, doesn’t just float around in the bloodstream by itself. It gets packaged inside a...
read moreInsomnia and Heart Disease
Wow! In a fascinating, 5-year long study, researchers at the University of Chicago found a greater than four-fold increased risk of developing coronary artery calcification in “bad” vs. “good” sleepers. At the beginning of the study, none of the trial participants had evidence of arterial disease. Of those who slept fewer than five hours a night, more than one in four developed coronary calcification. In contrast, fewer than one in sixteen of the “good” sleepers, those who slept more than seven hours a night, developed...
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