One of the easiest and healthiest ways for us to stay warm during the coldest times of the year is to eat more so-called “warming” foods. Warming foods, which ancient Chinese medicine referred to as “yang” foods, are foods that contain one or more active compounds that help raise our core temperature – often by boosting blood circulation or removing excess water from our tissues. Seeds, nuts, oats, garlic, and onions are classic examples of traditional…
There’s a good reason why nutritionists consider omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids to be “essential” acids. These polyunsaturated fats, which are responsible for building cells and maintaining nerve and brain function, cannot be manufactured by our bodies. This means that we must obtain them from food sources in order to remain healthy. Unfortunately, since the advent of processed vegetable and seed oils, the average Westerner consumes far more omega-6 acids than omega-3 acids. In fact,…
Hydrogen peroxide is an odorless, colorless chemical compound comprised of water and oxygen. It was first identified and isolated by the French chemist Louis Jacques Thenard in 1818 and, by the beginning of the 20th century, had become one of Europe’s most popular surface disinfectants due to the speed with which it kills microorganisms through oxidation. Hydrogen peroxide is still found in most chemists today, and remains a much-loved alternative to bleach due to its…
Do you often feel incomplete in the morning without eating some bread or cereal? Do you regularly find yourself purchasing a candy bar just to cope with your mid-afternoon slump? If your answer to these questions is “yes,” you’re not alone: An overwhelming majority of people in the Western world are addicted to the short-term energy boosts that carbohydrates are well-known for providing. Unfortunately, since these foods are usually heavily processed and supply our bodies…
Common witch hazel, also called winterbloom, is a flowering shrub native to the forest margins, woodlands and stream banks of eastern North America. It is characterized by its fragrant, gold-colored flowers, which tend to grow in late fall and continue to expand throughout winter. Despite its somewhat sinister name, witch hazel is a plant of considerable medicinal value and has been pressed, boiled, and steamed for human usage for centuries. The American Indians were particularly…
