At one level, your body is an impossibly complex symphony of electrical impulses and chemical chain reactions fueled by sunshine, the air you breathe, and the food you eat. Food has three basic nutrients: protein, carbohydrates and fats. They are often referred to as macronutrients, and they give our bodies calories, glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids needed for our metabolism and daily functions. Your body also needs a diverse array of vitamins, minerals, and other compounds to function properly. And you’re not just feeding yourself, you also support a community of symbiotic bacteria and fungi in your gut that play diverse essential roles. Unfortunately, we live in the age of hyperpalatable processed foods: cheap, addictively tasty, and high in calories, these foods are linked to the most pervasive killers of our day, from heart disease to diabetes. While fruits, vegetables, whole grains, mushrooms, and meats are the basis of a nutritious diet, processed foods made from over-processed grains, refined sugars, and denatured oils nurture disease. These cheap and tasty foods have great shelf life—and deadly consequences. You can get more nutrients from your food depending on how you cook it. Some foods are healthier if cooked more, chopped more, or eaten at certain times of year. It is also important to grow foods in living soils that can offer a full spectrum of essential minerals and nutrients—without the effects of toxic herbicides and pesticides and the still largely unknown consequences of genetic modification.
How to Keep Your Lungs Younger
Health Viewpoints The more berries and grapes you eat, the healthier your lungs are likely to be as you age. Researchers from Johns Hopkins came to this conclusion after following 463 adults ...
2 Main Causes of DNA Damage, Eat These Foods to Repair Your DNA
All our life processes seem to be orchestrated according to a preprinted instruction manual—our cellular DNA. However, DNA is susceptible to damage, which can result in various diseases, including cancer, ...
Several Artificial Sweeteners Increase Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Risks, Xylitol May Be Suitable for Diabetics
The safety of artificial sweeteners has long stirred a heated debate. Several studies have shown that artificial sweeteners can increase the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. Experts advise choosing natural ...
‘Bad’ Cholesterol May Not Be So Bad
Doctors say there are better alternatives to LDL cholesterol tests
Beware of Certain Vegetable Oils—Try These Oils to Maintain Optimal Omega-3 to Omega-6 Ratio
Reduce chronic, low-grade inflammation by balancing Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratios
Heatstroke: A Doctor Offers Tips to Stay Safe as Temperatures Soar
I remember laughing at Wile E. Coyote trying to catch the Road Runner while watching Saturday morning cartoons as a child. I can still see Coyote walking slowly through the ...
Snack Smart: Top 7 Nuts for Heart and Brain Wellness
Are you nuts about nuts? Research suggests that consuming nuts can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and premature death. Just how beneficial is nut consumption? What contributes to their ...
The Natural Combo Shown to Normalize Thyroid Function in Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
New research shows that treatment with this powerhouse combination restores euthyroid status in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. What’s more, you can easily obtain therapeutic dosages from foods One in 10 women and ...
How China Is Destroying American Farmland
Health Viewpoints It's a two-year, $1.3 billion stealth takeover. China's acting in its own self-interest, poisoning the water supply, killing fish, and causing life-threatening illness in humans—all while taking valuable ...
Eating for Health—6 Anti-Cancer Foods to Enjoy for Optimal Health
We have to eat—so why not choose foods with anti-cancer potential that boost our optimal health? Although not a replacement for medical treatments, these everyday foods are considered to have ...
Why We Lose Our Near Vision and How We Can Retrieve It
Our stiffening eye lenses can be preserved with nutrition or improved through a variety of new treatments
Here’s How One Doctor Is Reversing Mental Illness
We used to believe that mental disorders were rooted in moral failings. Then we discovered that even bacteria can cause mental health problems. Some argue that it’s rooted in childhood ...
Detoxifying, Enzymatic, Antimalarial, Bug Bite Relief—Papaya Does a Body Good
Papaya (Carica papaya) also known as "pawpaw" is native to Mexico and dates back more than 1000 years. The many varieties of papaya range in weight from half a pound to ...
The Power of Probiotics (+ 2 Kombucha Recipes)
Editor's Note: Effervescent and salubrious, kombucha is a perfect summer thirst quencher. In "Delicious Probiotic Drinks," Julia Mueller introduces the art of fermentation with easy-to-follow fun recipes you can brew at home. ...
WHO Says Artificial Sweetener Aspartame May Cause Cancer, But Intake Guidelines Remain Unchanged
The World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday classified aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” while reaffirming its recommended intake of the popular artificial sweetener is safe. In an analysis published ...
How Can I Treat Painful Night Leg Cramps?
Up to 60 percent of North American adults suffer from night-time leg cramps, a sudden painful contraction usually of the calf muscles that can last from a few seconds up ...
Cilantro and Garlic-Infused Shrimp Tacos (Recipe)
Beef and chicken usually star in taco dishes, so try this break from tradition. The cilantro and garlic shrimp are mouthwatering and will soon become a staple taco filler. Ingredients for Shrimp ...
What Do Healthy Veins Look Like?
Keeping veins and arteries in top shape ensures your body gets blood where it needs it
The Astonishing Overeating Paradox
Most people think that eating too much causes obesity and eating less will enable us to lose weight. Is this correct? Influence of the Body’s ‘Fat Thermostat’ on Losing Weight ...
Are Vegetable Oils Killing Us? We Swapped Them In for Animal Fats 50 Years Ago
Our switch from cooking with animal fats—like butter—to cooking with vegetable oils runs back more than fifty years. It was thought that this would lower cholesterol and the rate of ...
An Important and Overlooked Cause of Alzheimer’s
Dentists could play a critical role in helping us avoid dementia, but most of them don't even know it
‘Cool’ Health Foods to Eat This Summer
It’s hot, it’s humid, and it's sticky! Sometimes the days of summer can bring on serious heat and so the goal is to stay as cool as a cucumber to ...
Sucralose: Popular Artificial Sweetener May Harm the Immune System, 5 Healthier Alternatives
What are we doing to satisfy our sweet tooth?
Can We Lose Weight by ‘Rewiring’ Our Ancient, Survival Eating Instincts?
Does trying to eat less really help you to lose weight? “People who try to eat less are actually very uncomfortable. It's actually hard to be hungry, and we don't ...
Get the Most out of Your Cup of Coffee: Best Ways to Drink It
Some people think coffee is refreshing and helps them lose weight, so they enjoy a cup or two daily. On the other hand, some believe coffee affects cardiovascular health and ...