5 Steps to Improved Immune and Gut Health

Did you know that the lining of your intestine (also known as the second brain) plays a huge role in the health and strength of your immune system? That’s why you should pay close attention to the following conditions and address them before they offset the delicate balance of your gastrointestinal system: Irritable bowel Constipation/diarrhea […]

This Is Your Brain Sans Sunshine

At the time of this writing, we’re going on the fourteenth consecutive day of gray skies here in Iowa. The weather folks tell us we’ll hit seventeen before there’s even a chance the sun will rear its gorgeous head. When that day arrives, I envision all of us standing outside with our faces to the […]

Chronic Allergies:
What to Know, How to Identify and Alleviate

A modern update on nonreaginic allergy in theory and practice. Did you know that extensive fatigue, mood swings, and radical behavioral changes can all be allergic reactions? Read on! Because many allergic reactions can include not only physical symptoms but emotional, mental, and physical ones, monitoring and identifying chronic allergies to food, medicine, and inhalants […]

Spring Is Here! Cleanse and Detox

Why detox? Research suggests that many health problems are associated with prolonged exposure to various toxins in our environment, which can overburden our system and result in “dis-ease” or feelings of un-wellness. Who should detox? Everyone! All of our bodies produce toxins during the process of digestion and elimination, and when we fight infection and […]

Grown-Up Versions of a Classic Sandwich

I have great news, folks! According to my Celebrate Everything calendar, April 12 is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Celebrating this classic sandwich, which doubles as a major comfort food, is some fun I can get behind. While I spent my childhood nibbling on the standard interpretation of the grilled cheese—bread, butter, and cheese—I’ve come […]

The Keppel Method: Endocrine System, Featuring Lowell Keppel, DC

Continue your practitioner education with Dr. Lowell Keppel’s ongoing modular series “The Keppel Method.” On April 29, Dr. Keppel will present the fourth module in the series, “Endocrine System.” The Endocrine System module explores what signs to look for when doing Muscle Response Testing and recommends specific supplements to give patients who experience weakness in […]

A Medicinal Salad Garden—Cuz the Roar of Spring Is Here!

I was recently given a great book. Not just any book, but rather a book by one of the foremost holistic practitioners ever! Thankfully, you can still find a number of books written by past geniuses in the field of nutrition, and I’ll talk about some of these great doctors later in this article. But […]

Is My Baby Healthy?

In every language the first words spoken by a woman after delivery are, “Is my baby healthy?” The first words spoken by a woman upon learning that she is pregnant should be, “Am I well nourished?” —“Prenatal Nutrition and Birth Defects,” Mark R. Anderson One of my biggest fears in life has always been, what […]

Rules for Purging Your Pantry

If you’re like me, you go through cycles of squirreling away food like, well, a squirrel. Maybe you buy ingredients for a new recipe you never try. Perhaps you get a great deal on that “super food” that no one liked. Or it could be that you’re just in a rut from cooking the same […]

Nutrient Dense Foods and Mental Health

Way back in 1939, Weston A. Price documented the link between diet and mental health in his groundbreaking book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration. His work still holds true to this day. When Dr. Price studied indigenous cultures around the globe in the 1930s, he found that eggs from pastured hens, deep yellow butter from grass-fed […]

Top 3 Ways to Get Your Produce Locally

Every year when the spring equinox rolls around I start craving the ultra-freshness of local fruits and vegetables. Aside from the vibrant flavors, local produce is also nutritionally superior to the stuff that’s trucked in from the other side of the country (and skipping the trucks altogether is better for the air we breathe too). […]

My Body Doth Stink! The Psychological Effects of Bathing

I recently read an old article from 1988 that discussed the efficacy of cleansing our minds and spirits of possibly long-forgotten peccadilloes, regrets, and resentments. The author effectively explored the subject of confession by cleverly comparing it to the cleansing of our inner self, just as we must give our outer self a physical bath. […]

Dairy-Free Is Not a Life Sentence!

Did you know that dairy-free does not need to be a life sentence? Read on to learn why! People all over America are going dairy-free. Children, adults, teens, and even tweens have gone “DF” by adopting a dairy-free diet. Which means exactly what you think it means: eliminating dairy from the diet. Most people who […]

What Your Doc Wants You to Know

So often, we’re apprehensive about speaking up in the doctor’s office. Our doc is the expert, so we think: Don’t doubt his or her suggestions. Don’t look foolish by admitting you got lost in the conversation. Just be a good patient and go with the flow. I’m not saying this is the way it should […]

From Nuffin’ to Muffin: Men in Kitchens

After that attempt to flambé Bananas Foster for your sweetheart on Valentine’s day, the smoke has finally cleared. So before the next important occasion arises, let’s talk about how to impress the people in your life with a few simple recipes—the kind that don’t involve flaming pans. Some recipes can be pretty daunting, especially when […]

Eating Dairy: Do or Don’t?

What should you consider when it comes to your dairy intake? These days, it seems there’s lot of confusion around dairy. On the one hand, the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ODPHP) recommends consuming dairy as part of a healthy eating pattern. On the other hand, independent health experts and those who support […]

A Fun, New Way to Use Those Leftovers

Wouldn’t it be great if leftover night were the most anticipated meal on your weekly menu? Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Our boys only have to hear the word leftovers before they’re suddenly certain they can do without dinner. For some reason, simply warming up the same thing we had the night before last […]

Dinner from the Sea: The Ultimate Youth Serum

Are you like many cooks who rarely, if ever, grace your dinner table with the treasure trove of foods from our majestic seas? This very thought came to me recently. After rereading my own blog post about the nutritional promise of ribonucleic acid (RNA), a nutrient often touted as a special youth serum that’s abundant […]

Hold the Mayo!

Mayonnaise. Mayo. A favorite condiment in the U.S. of A. You’ll find some Hellman’s or Kraft in just about every sandwich shop, burger joint, and refrigerator. But unfortunately, mayo is no longer a healthy option for us. Read on to learn why. The Original Mayonnaise There are conflicting opinions on when and where mayonnaise (originally […]