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Holistic Living: The Cure For Modern Disease

8/28/2016

It seems crazy that we are living in the 21st century, with some of the most advanced technological innovations known to man, and that the U.S. spends more per capita on healthcare than any other nation in the world, yet we continue to become sicker and sicker instead of healthier.

Yet it's true.

Over the past decade or so, the U.S. has made headlines - not for its advanced healthcare system, but for the fact that we now rank lower than almost every other developed country when it comes to a number of health and longevity factors.

In the World Health Report 2000, the U.S. healthcare system was ranked 37th in the world! In 2006, the United States was number 1 in terms of health care spending per capita, but ranked 39th for infant mortality, 43rd for adult female mortality, 42nd for adult male mortality, and 36th for life expectancy (New England Journal of Medicine, Jan. 14, 2010).

And it's not getting any better! In 2014, Time magazine reported that in the 2014 Commonwealth Fund survey, the U.S. healthcare system ranked dead last in "efficiency, equity and outcomes" out of 11 countries including France, Australia, Germany, Canada, Sweden, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the U.K..

And in 2015, the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD) stated in their annual Health At A Glance Report that "Life expectancy in the United States is lower than in most other OECD countries for several reasons, including poorer health-related behaviours and the highly fragmented nature of the US health system."

How can this be? How can a country that spends more than any other country in the world on healthcare be so unhealthy?

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Can You Achieve Healthy Teeth Naturally?

7/31/2016

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I'm back from Minnesota! It was great seeing the family, but it's also great to be home. My garden is looking a bit weedy, but mostly I'm just amazed by how much everything has grown in a week! Squash and cucumbers are starting to pile up, so I'll be pickling tonight - the first batch of the season, though certainly not the last. :-)

Anyway, I'm super busy getting caught up with everything, so this won't take long, but I did want to share a bit of info today about a topic I don't cover very often: your teeth.

Dental health has recently been linked to several other areas of health, and some researchers now believe that poor oral health can even lead to heart disease and other inflammatory diseases.

Even if you go to the dentist regularly, you may still have issues with the health of your teeth, and this is one area where natural and holistic medicine are often lacking. Though there are "biological dentists," who tend to use fewer harmful substances in their practice, and look for safer alternatives to things like x-rays, there really haven't been a ton of advances in natural dentistry.

But I stumbled across this interesting resource last week, and wanted to share some information that may help you achieve healthier teeth naturally, all on your own...

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Sun Versus Sunscreen: Which Is Worse For Your Health?

6/26/2016

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These days it's hard not to want to just sit around with a cold glass of lemonade and pop in a little summertime playlist like the one I'm listening to right now...

Unfortunately, I've still got loads to do in the garden - weeding, mulching, staking tomatoes, not to mention finishing off the last couple of beds so I can get the last few plants in - it never ends. With all of this going on, it's no wonder that winter seems a lot more conducive to blogging!

But I did muster up a good topic for you today. In fact, it's one that's just perfect for summer....

As we've been invited to two outdoor barbecues next weekend, I'm already planning to make sure I bring along plenty of sunscreen. But did you know that wearing the wrong sunscreen can actually be just as bad for your health as wearing none at all?

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Have You Taken the Cancer Quiz?

4/10/2016

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As you might expect, I'm subscribed to a LOT of health newsletters. Not only so I can keep abreast of the latest in natural health news (and bring it to you), but I also have a great (almost insatiable) love of learning, and I know there is always more out there for me to learn - especially when it comes to the growing field of natural health!

Lately, I kept seeing emails promoting this "cancer quiz" over and over. At first I just deleted them, thinking it was some sort of scammy promotion. But eventually, curiosity got the better of me, and I checked it out - especially since one of the senders is someone whose materials I normally really like and trust.

It turns out that it is actually being sponsored by a really cool organization called "Quest for the Cures," and their cancer-related website and informational video, The Truth About Cancer, which provides all sorts of interesting information and resources about cancer, the search for a cure, and natural cancer treatments that show potential.

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The Only 2 Rules for Healthy Eating You Will Ever Need

3/27/2016

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It's a jungle out there....

When it comes to food and nutrition, that is.

With thousands of different fad diets, diet books, and nutritional guidelines, it can seem nearly impossible to figure out what you are really supposed to eat for good health.

Low-fat, low-carb, gluten-free, sugar-free, fat-free, Vegan, Paleo, organic, grass-fed, free-range - and that's just what's on the label!

Not to mention things like eating alkaline foods vs. acidic, whole foods vs. processed, or whether or not you should avoid GMO's. Some diet books even advocate eating certain combinations of food together - or not.... For example, some authors say you should only eat carbs with fat and protein, and others say you should never eat these things together!

Is it any wonder that we are becoming a nation that is completely neurotic about food?

Well, I'm here today to clear up all this confusion - once and for all. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you may have heard my two rules for healthy eating before, but I don't think I've ever explained them fully, so today I'm going to do just that. Since I have touched on many related topics before, I will provide links below for further reading on those topics if you are interested.

Firstly, let me just say that I am not discounting any of the approaches mentioned above. I am more and more aware that everyone processes food differently, and what works for one person may not work for another. I know people who have been unhappy, miserable, and sick on a Vegan diet, and others who seem to do quite fine with it. Some people can't tolerate gluten, and others don't seem bothered by it. And so on.

However, I firmly believe that everyone can benefit from following the 2 simple rules for healthy eating that I have listed below. No matter what other dietary preferences or needs you may have, incorporating these 2 rules into your eating habits will bring you better health and well-being in the long run.

But this post is especially for those who are just confused and fed up with all of the conflicting information out there about what is healthy when it comes to food. If this is you, I give you permission to go ahead and throw out all your diet books! Don't pay any mind to the media attention to whatever fad diet comes along next. Don't worry about whether you should be eating more of this or less of that. Instead, just commit to eating by these 2 simple rules. Doing so will undoubtedly benefit your health in more ways than you can imagine.

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[Video] Debunking the Biggest Healthy Diet Myths

3/13/2016

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If you're interested in health (which I assume you are, since you're reading this blog) :-) you've probably looked into a variety of different diets and eating plans.

One of the most popular diets right now (and maybe even one you have tried) is the Vegan diet, and while it may work well for some people for a period of time, despite what "vegangelicals" will tell you, it's not necessarily the healthiest diet for everyone long-term.

How do you know when your diet isn't working for you? And if it's not, what changes should you make to ensure you are eating the healthiest foods for you?

I ran across this very interesting interview with author and blogger Kevin Gianni, who spent many years on a raw vegan diet. Here is his take on this type of eating, and how to find balance in your own diet and health journey - as well as how to listen to your body in order to determine what foods and types of eating really work best for you individually.

Watch the video below to learn what Kevin says about healthy eating myths, "cheat days," blood tests, health fads, balanced eating, and even the healthiest types of wine.

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3 Foods To Stop Eating Now

2/28/2016

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I bet you think I'm going to say "salt, sugar, and fat," right? In fact, that's not what I have in mind with the title of today's post. I'm also not going to say potato chips, french fries, and candy, although you wouldn't be quite as far off the mark there. If you guessed high-fructose corn syrup, processed vegetable oils, and bread, you would be even closer, but still not quite there.

In fact, I have in mind a more general list of the 3 top foods we consume in modern America. In fact, these foods make up a shocking 67% of the modern Western diet (based on calorie intake)! This is a huge change from the way our ancestors ate, when, on average, primitive man consumed over 3,000 different foods on a regular basis, and over the course of history, humankind has eaten approximately 80,000 different species of plants, animals, and edible fungi. With these numbers in mind, the fact that we now get 2/3 of our calories from just 3 foods should give us pause.

It should also make us wonder if this unprecedented lack of variety in our diet might not have a causal link to today's increased incidence of many modern diseases...

It's time to bring diversity back to our diet. But first, if you're ready to find out which 3 foods you're eating more of than anyone has ever before in human history, read on.

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Why I Don't (Usually) Promote Products

1/17/2016

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If you've been reading this blog for some time, you may have noticed something....

I don't promote products. At least not often. I will occasionally write a review of a book or video that I found especially helpful and thought my readers might benefit from the information it contains. But if I do promote something, it's usually just that: Information to help you live a healthier, happier life. Yes, we have some products listed on our "Recommended Products" page, and throughout the website as well. (You may notice that many of those are also information products.)

I also don't promote a lot of products in my daily life. I don't talk about the products I use all the time - even the ones that work really well for me. Maybe I should do more of this, but I just don't feel right about being a walking billboard for products - no matter how natural and effective.

Why? The reason is simple - at least in my opinion...

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6 Reasons You Get Sick More Often In The Winter (& How to Prevent It)

1/10/2016

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This time of year it's hard to miss those inevitable colds and flu that always seem to plague us as we head into the cold, dark days of mid-winter. If you're a parent, you may be particularly prone to picking up the germs the kids seem to bring home from school on a weekly basis.

But if you find yourself getting sick over and over, it's probably more than just simple exposure. We are all exposed to hundreds (if not thousands) of bacteria and viruses on a daily basis, but if your immune system is in good shape, your body should be able to fight most of them off before you ever come down with anything.

If it seems like you're sick practically all winter long, it's probably time to take a good look at your immune system and find out why this is happening, and what you can do about it.

Here are 6 reasons why you may be getting sick on a regular basis - and some tips for staying healthy!

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4 Simple Steps to Balance Your Gut Bacteria

11/29/2015

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As we discussed a couple of weeks ago, the health of your gut is important for many reasons - especially as it makes up the greater part of your immune system - and having the right balance of gut bacteria in your digestive tract is key for good health. While it may not be possible to know exactly which microorganisms are out of balance, by watching for the signs we mentioned in our previous post, you can at least determine if your digestive system needs some support.

If you do have any of the symptoms mentioned, you can take steps to correct the imbalance in your gut, and build a stronger, healthier immune system.

Here are 4 simple steps to balancing your gut bacteria:

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