Today's guest post addresses a common "health food" that has become mainstream over the past decade or so.

While billions of dollars in advertising by the soy industry would have you believe that soy products such as soy milk, soy protein, soybean oil, and other processed soy foods are "healthy" for you, in fact the evidence shows something quite different.

The truth is that processed soy has a number of potential negative health effects on the body, and in the form in which soy is sold - at least here in the U.S. - it is typically NOT a health food at all.

This isn't to say that all soy is bad. In fact, in small amounts, certain types of soy foods may be quite beneficial for your health. But as with many other types of food, the manner in which soy is grown and processed has a lot to do with whether it should be considered a health food, or just the opposite.

The guest post below explains the real truth about soy.

While we are still learning new things about the human brain all the time, we are beginning to understand just how connected our gut and brain truly are. In fact, some scientists have even begun to call the gut our "second brain" as it is so intimately connected with our brain and our overall health. But one thing we don't often think about is how much the food that we eat impacts our brain function.

In fact, more and more evidence is revealing that our diet has a HUGE impact on our brain health as well as our thought patterns, mental functions, and more. From "foggy brain," to inability to focus, anxiety, and even depression, how we eat can have a major effect. What's more, some of the foods that you eat on a regular basis may actually be causing damage to your brain over time, and some evidence shows that diet may even be linked to serious brain diseases such as Alzheimer's disease.

The dietary choices you make today can have long-term consequences for your brain health, and it's time to start taking these consequences seriously - before it's too late.

The guest article below explores some of the worst foods for your brain, as well as some foods that may protect and actually improve your brain health.

Welcome to your March freebie! This month, we've got a great recipe book full of delicious recipes that are packed with healthy ingredients that have powerful healing benefits for both your gut microbiome, and your brain. These two areas of the body are intimately connected, and modern medicine is just beginning to realize how important this connection truly is to our overall health.

As we have recognized the connection between oral health and cardiovascular disease in recent years, the medical establishment has begun to prioritize oral health in preventing future cardiovascular problems. In a similar fashion, I believe that in the years ahead, the health of the gut will be emphasized in maintaining good brain health, and even possibly helping to treat existing mental issues such as depression and addiction.

You can get a head start on a healthy brain by downloading this free recipe book and incorporating these nutrient-dense healing recipes into your regular diet!

With the holiday season just around the corner, I thought it would be fun to share a guest post on some tasty herbs and "super-spices" that you can use to spice up your holiday meals - AND stay healthy this winter!

Most of us think of herbs and spices simply as something to flavor our food, but many of these ingredients may actually have powerful health benefits. Not only can they make your food taste great, but they are also great for you!

Herbs and spices actually contain some of the most potent antioxidants of any food - even higher than some of the most touted "superfoods" such as kale, broccoli, or berries. These antioxidants have been shown to help protect against diseases like cancer, heart disease, arthritis, Alzheimer's, and more. What's more, they not only contain their own healthy compounds, but they also can actually enhance the nutritional benefits of other foods when eaten in combination.

But it's not just about antioxidants; these "super-spices" also have properties that may help to stabilize and regulate blood sugar, boost metabolism, reduce inflammation, and help the body ward off pathogens - including viruses, bacteria, and even some fungal diseases. All of this without creating issues like antibiotic resistance or other side-effects created by many conventional medications.

This month's guest post lists 10 amazing herbs and super-spices that you'll want to include in your cooking on a regular basis. Check it out below to learn about the healing properties of these common natural flavoring agents, as well as ideas for including more of them in your meals.

As we move into the winter months and the pandemic rages on, many families are concerned about not only health, but also food security. Based on the shortages of some foods that we experienced back in the spring, it is reasonable to expect that if things shut down again, we may face the same - or perhaps worse - before things improve.

Let's face it: these are some crazy times we are living in, and it is important to be prepared for anything.
Fortunately, those of you who follow the holistic living way - growing your own food, taking responsibility for your own health, etc. are better prepared than most. Whether you're growing your own produce, or buying fresh, healthy foods from local farmers through a farmer's market or CSA program, learning to preserve your favorite fresh vegetables and herbs is one way to stock up so that you can enjoy healthy meals without going to the grocery store all the time - and ensure that you have plenty of food if the grocery stores run short.

There are so many amazing healthy foods out there that boost your immunity - and most of them can be easily grown in your own backyard. Imagine being able to preserve these foods to enjoy whenever you want them...

Today, more than ever, this is a game-changer.

And let’s face it, store-bought pasta sauce is just NEVER as good as fresh and homemade! When you make your own, you know it’s chock full of nutrients without all the crazy weird preservatives, sugars, and other additives.

So are you ready to learn how to start preserving fresh food for yourself… all the basics like pasta sauce, salsa, hot sauce, pickles, dried herbs, sauerkraut and more?

If so, you're in the right place!  My colleague, Stacey Murphy, is a "garden guru" who provides mentorship to thousands of people so they can nourish their loved ones with fresh, organic food. And now she’s released a brand new webinar to help you stock your kitchen with fresh goodies so you can enjoy fresh and healthy foods year-round!

Fall is the perfect time to make sure you are prepared for the winter months with plenty of healthy foods to keep your immune system strong.

Click here to register for the FREE webinar on preserving the harvest, or learn more below...

It's no secret that we are living in an epidemic of modern disease caused largely by the foods we consume. Heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are rampant - yet so much of this disease could be prevented simply by eating better... So why don't we?

There are many answers to this question, but one that we may not often consider is that "Big Food" actually doesn't want us to! In fact, many processed foods are actually created to be addictive. (To learn more about this insidious practice, as well as how food companies actually market their products specifically to your children to get them addicted early in life - as well as to lower-income minority communities, where obesity and disease are especially high, check out the eye-opening book, Food Fix, by Dr. Mark Hyman.)

Besides eating addictive foods packed with sugar and artificial ingredients, we are also eating many ingredients that are actually banned in other countries due to their health effects.

In this episode of The Doctor’s Farmacy, Dr. Mark Hyman chats with author and food activist, Vani Hari, about her experiences with Big Food, including how these massive and powerful food companies manipulate nutrition research to their benefit, hide the ill effects of their food, and make us sick without our knowledge. She also talks about ways to take back control of your health by making smart choices in the kitchen, and educating yourself about what eating healthy really means.

This is such an inspiring interview - you owe it to yourself and your health to watch this now!

While most of us don't usually think of food as medicine, in fact, at one time, all medicine originally came from edible food sources. In recent years, a resurgence in interest in natural medicines and herbal remedies has brought healing foods back to the forefront of health and wellness.

All kinds of foods have healing properties, from roots, to leaves, fruits, and seeds. Healing foods can be as simple as your grandmother's chicken soup, or as complex as a homemade cough syrup or healing tincture made from roots, berries, and spices. (However, even the more complex remedies are often easier to make at home that you may think.)

This month, I'm excited to share with you a wonderful resource filled with healthful recipes that will help you harness the healing power of food! This 7-day meal plan is available for a limited time only, in preparation for the upcoming Home Medicine Masterclass. If you're interested in learning to make your own home medicines and herbal remedies, be sure to check it out!

I may have mentioned before that I am reading Food Fix: How to Save Our Health, Our Economy, Our Communities, and Our Planet--One Bite at a Time, by Dr. Mark Hyman, this summer.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book (yes, I'm a slow reader - but it's also not a book you can speed through), and I have to say that it's the most eye-opening book I have read in a long time. In fact, I would go so far as to say it is THE most important book about food and health of our time!

I do have to put it down once in a while, as learning the truth about the food and agriculture industries just makes me so MAD I sometimes need a little break. (Seriously - if you think you know shady, you have NO idea...) But I love that every chapter - no matter how depressing, scary, or infuriating - includes "food fixes" with suggestions for taking action for positive change - both individually and as citizens en masse.

It's hard for me to describe just how impactful this book truly is, but it breaks down all of the many, many problems of our current food system in real ways - demonstrating the impact of food on our physical health, our mental health, our economy, the environment, social justice, and just about every other important issue facing our world today. And yes, the food you eat really does impact all of those things!

It also offers meaningful solutions that we all can implement in our own lives, as well as tips for pushing for government action and needed reforms.

When I finish the book, I may write a full review, but for now, I wanted to share this quick clip from CBS news, where Dr. Hyman discusses some of the issues covered in the book. Check it out below for some of the highlights, but I HIGHLY recommend reading the book for yourself!

I am currently reading a very interesting and thought-provoking book called Food Fix, by Dr. Mark Hyman. This book details the massive problems with our current food system, which Hyman contends (and I agree) is the central reason for our current epidemic of modern diseases such has heart disease, diabetes, obesity, cancer, and more.

However, rather than simply being all "doom and gloom," every chapter of the book details a number of specific "food fixes" for each issue that needs to be addressed.

From positive incentives for food companies making healthier foods, to taxes on unhealthy ingredients, to subsidizing healthy foods instead of junk, to ideas for getting healthier foods into schools and hospitals, and much more, the book is filled with positive solutions and ideas to help us turn our modern health crisis around and build healthier, happier, and more productive lives for everyone.

The short video below contains parts of two interviews that Dr. Hyman held with food experts who discuss aspects of the current "Big Food" system, and share their ideas for creating a healthier food system.

If you've been reading this blog for a while, you are probably aware that I am slightly obsessed with fermentation. :-) This is rather interesting to me, given my natural penchant for control, as fermenting things so often has unpredictable results!  Case in point: my recent experiment with making homemade dandelion wine for the first time.

Always an adventure, this fermentation foray has been especially eventful - including explosions, spewing jugs, yeasty lessons, and more. Read on to find out how to make your own dandelion wine - as well as what NOT to do, as I learned the hard way!  :-)