Health | Wellness | Yoga

In spite of all the information and all the prescriptions offered by modern diets, American people just keep getting fatter. In my mind, this suggests that our knowledge about metabolism is missing something perhaps some of the old wisdom that kept hundreds of generations of people slender and strong. Of course, having access to modern scientific knowledge is enormously helpful too. The key lies in integrating these two bodies of wisdom, and then applying them to get a better understanding of our entire physiological landscape. Diet and Nutrition Food supplies us with nutrients that are criticalfor healthy metabolism, and for health in general. Vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids and probiotics are all essential nutrients, many of which cannot be produced by the body and must therefore be ingested from an outside source. Missing even one essential nutrient from your diet could have a devastating effect on your metabolism and overall he...

Its great that manufacturers have become keen to consumers desire to avoid Bisphenol A (BPA), but at what cost?BPA is a heavily produced industrial compound that has been detected in more than 2,000 people worldwide, including more than 95 percent of 400 people tested in a study in the United States. More than 100 peer-reviewed studies have found BPA to be toxic at low dose. BPA is commonly used to strengthen plastic andline food cans; its in dental sealants, receipt paper and many other itemsand the FDA thinks it isnt all that bad, apparently ignoring the findings of numerous prominent andwell-regarded studies.Known as an endocrine disruptor (chemicals that can act like hormones), studies show that BPA can mimic the female hormone estrogen. In 2009 the scientific group, the Endocrine Society, published a 34-page report stating strong evidence of ill health effects from endocrine disruptors, including harm to the reproductive system, causing malformations, infertility and cancer.The go...

Research has shown that there is an association between periodontal diseases and other chronic inflammatory conditions, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimers disease. Therefore, treating inflammation may not only help manage periodontal diseases but may also help with the management of other chronic inflammatory conditions.But on the flip side, symptoms of disease may present in the teeth and mouth. The mouth is often used to diagnose, make a prognosis, treat or intervene on a number of diseases. Healthy gums should look pink and firm, not red and swollenand your teeth should feel solid. If you have problems with your teeth and gums, its important to see a dentist, and possibly your general physician. Here is a list of some health problems that can sometimes show up in the teeth or gums. Tooth Loss: Osteoporosis The bone disease osteoporosis affects all the bones in your bodyincluding your jaw boneand can cause tooth loss. The erosion of the jawbone can result in toot...

Living with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (#10 in a series)I discovered a large lump in my breast on October 14, and had a mastectomy on November 10. Two weeks later, it was time to meet with my oncologist for the first time. An oncologist. Chemotherapy. It was still difficult to fathom. The Oncology Battle Plan Wed had plenty of time to anticipate this appointment, and I must admit that my husband and I were a bit on edge. The doctor had set aside a full hour for this introductory visit, and we would have plenty of ground to cover. It was time to formulate phase two of the battle plan to beat cancer.It didnt take us long to realize that we lucked out once again and found a doctor who possessed empathy, kindness, and a willingness to answer questions in depth. Wow! He didnt pull any punches, but just like the surgeon, Dr. G wasnt about gloom and doom.He began with a complete explanation of what triple-negative breast cancer is, emphasizing the fact that it generally responds well to ch...

By Vasant Lad, Yoga+Spring is the king of seasons a time of sunshine and cheer, love and creativity. Mother Earth wakes up and causes sprouting; energy moves up; everything is blooming, full of color. We begin to feel more energetic and spend more time outdoors, where children are playing and the birds are singing. Spring is the season of celebration.But it is also a time when many of us get spring colds. In addition, as flowers shed their pollen and emit sweet fragrances, many people get hay fever and allergies.The qualities of spring are warm, moist, gentle, and unctuous. Due to the warmth, the accumulated snow and ice of winter begin to melt. Similarly, accumulated kapha (the mind-body force responsible for lubrication and sustained energy) in the body starts liquefying and running.If you have a runny nose, asthma, congestion, or allergies; if you are feeling lazy, greedy, or attached, you probably have excess kapha. The best way to avoid these symptoms is to follow a kapha-reduci...

These four women walked away from meat for different reasonsand say doing so changed their lives, for the better. Could it change yours? By Karen Cicero, Prevention Shortly after giving up meat in 1995, Jessica Lindsey took a cross-country trip that gave her a taste of what eating out was going to be like. Vegetarianism was still so fringe then that hardly anyone outside of California knew what it meant, she says. At one restaurant, the waitress told me that the soups were vegetarian. She said that the broth was from beef, and it contained chicken pieces, but no meat!7 Foods that should never cross your lips.Today Lindsey rarely has such strange encounters. Vegetarianism is steadily becoming more mainstream. Roughly 6 to 8 million Americans are vegetarians, according to the Vegetarian Resource Groupup from a half million to 2 million in 1994. And they have gotten smarter about their dining choices.A generation ago, vegetarian meals were often built around leaden nut loaves or uninspire...

If youre interested in the psychology of eating, youve probably heard about a couple of newly identified disorders being discussed by health professionals. You can read about this here. The first is called adult selective eating. Those who suffer from it limit their diet to a very narrow range of foods, mostly light colored foods popular among children, like chicken fingers and fries, though they dont seem to be overly concerned with body image. Professionals speculate that it may be a manifestation of obsessive compulsive disorder.The second new disorder is called orthorexia, where individuals form their eating habits around being overly concerned with healthy eating. Sufferers may limit their diets to the point that they are actually malnourished. Some professionals suspect that orthorexia may be a stepping stone to anorexia or bulimia.So what to make of these new disorders? Are they actually disorders at all? If so, are they akin to anorexia, bulimia, and obesity? And for that matte...