Everywhere you turn you’ll find articles, videos, and memes about the power of probiotics. Probiotics have been touted as the next line of medicine for mental health issues, the solution to chronic inflammation, and might even ramp up your metabolism. Are they really all they’re cracked up to be? Could they really help with all of those health issues? In a nutshell… it looks like they just might! Plus, it looks like they’re an important addition to our collective diet….
Education
Herbal Supplements: Myths & Facts
May 28, 2019If you’re sometimes uncertain about herbal supplements, you’re in good company! Don’t feel bad, it is not your fault. There is a ton of incomplete or misinformation out there. It can be hard to know what is myth and what is fact. The good news? You’re about to get some clarity. Let’s clear up some myths and facts about herbal supplements, shall we? MYTH If you see a larger ingredient quantity on an herbal supplement label, it means you are…
Who’s Making Your Mānuka?
May 21, 2019How Flora Mānuka Honey Supports the Native Māori of New Zealand Chances are you’ve heard of a special kind of honey that comes from New Zealand, made from the blossoms of the mānuka tree. Mānuka honey is all the rage right now because it has some pretty cool properties no other honey does. Have you ever wondered who makes your mānuka honey (besides the bees, of course)? The answer: it depends on who you buy your honey from. Your money…
World Bee Day
May 20, 2019Bees are such fascinating and helpful creatures. Not only are humans completely reliant on them for maintaining the biodiversity of the planet (!) and for a third of our worldly food supply (!!!), but they are also unique and super interesting. Bee impressed Here are some amazing facts about bees and honey, our favorite miracle condiment: 0 – The amount of sleep a bee gets; they literally never stop working 5 – The number of eyes a bee has 2,000…
Honey, Let’s Bee Real: How to Buy True Mānuka Honey
April 16, 2019In New Zealand, there grows a tree the native Māori people call mānuka. They use its durable wood to make tools and smoke meat, and they make an essential oil—which you may know as tea tree oil—from its leaves. But the most special thing about the mānuka tree may be its white or pink blossoms. These flowers attract bees that make honey from the nectar, and this one-of-a-kind elixir contains special enzymes and antioxidants other honey doesn’t. It’s called mānuka…
Celery Juice – Facts vs. Fiction
March 7, 2019Celery juice is the latest wellness trend fuelled by Instagram. But what’s the basis of this trend? We know celery owes its new cult following to the guy known as ‘The Medical Medium’; Anthony William. Despite his popularity, others call him a quack and deny the claims being made by the man responsible for the celery juice resurgence. Who is right? Extreme statements are good for dramatic effect, but not for your health. Let’s get clear on celery juice. Fiction…
Probiotics & 5 Signs You Might Need Them
March 5, 2019Probiotics have become one of the hottest supplements on the market and for good reason! It seems like most health experts are calling probiotics the panacea for every ailment, that miracle supplement that helps with just about everything. And actually…it’s kind of true. While nothing will magically “fix” everything, our gut bacteria are the first line of defense for many of our body systems. Therefore, they’re connected to a surprisingly high number of health concerns. I believe the root of…
Form Matters When Choosing an Iron Supplement
February 9, 2019Being low in iron is no joke. It can leave you looking pale and feeling wiped out, weak, short of breath, lightheaded, and like you’re living inside a refrigerator. Women of baby-making age are extra susceptible to these woes since they lose blood every month, but anyone can become low in iron—that includes you, gentlemen! Other vulnerable groups include vegetarians, African-Americans, and Latinos, since their dietary intake of iron is typically low. How to get more iron You would think…
Iron Could Be the Hidden Reason Behind Your Fatigue
September 25, 2018Iron deficiency is more common than you think. We all seem to have accepted that tired is the new normal. It’s easy to write off persistent fatigue as the inevitable result of a busy, modern life. But what if there’s a tangible, correctable, physiological reason behind your exhaustion? Your tiredness could be due to iron deficiency. You need iron to help you manufacture hemoglobin, a key component of red blood cells. If your blood vessels are streets, hemoglobin is the…
Sleep Matters – The Impact Sleep Has on Our General Health
July 15, 2018I recently listened to a podcast that featured Dr. Matthew Walker, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, whose work I’ve been following for some time now. Dr. Walker is the Founder and Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science and the author of “Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams”. When it comes to taking care of and tending to my personal health, I see four facets that play together. Sleep, obviously,…
The Dangers of Eating Too Clean
July 5, 2018I recently enjoyed a farm-to-table meal in the Malibu hills. We nibbled garden-fresh veggies and berries straight from the bush. After all, what’s a bit of dirt? A lot, apparently. A hypothesis suggests that microbes that co-evolved with us are our ‘old friends’; they protect against a wide spectrum of immune-related disorders. Some of these are present in soil and can be inhaled when out in nature. This might be why spending childhood on a farm is good for our…
5 Essential Tips to Banish a Yeast Infection
June 30, 2018Oh, the dreaded yeast infection. If you’re one of the 75 percent of women who have had one, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And what’s worse than one yeast infection? A chronic one that doesn’t want to go away. That uncomfortable itching, burning, and discharge can be unbearable. A yeast infection is an overgrowth of a kind of yeast in the vaginal canal called Candida albicans. You can also have an overgrowth of bad bacteria, which is called…