Complementary and alternative medicine fall outside of mainstream health care. And although most people believe these two terms are the same, they’re not. There are many differences. Complementary medicine refers to treatments used alongside traditional medicine. Alternative medicine means treatments that are used instead of traditional medicine. These treatments can be risky to patients, which…

Who doesn’t have a sweet tooth? Well, not only will dark Chocolate satisfy it, but it comes with several health benefits too. (Just to be clear, we’re not talking about a Milky Way candy bar – we’re talking about high-quality dark Chocolate.)  Chocolate is one of the most popular comfort foods on the planet. Since…

You might as well add “boredom” to the list of things we’ve survived these past few months. Staying cooped up at home with nothing to do is enough to drive one mad! And it has. We’ve all been bored. Boring zoom meetings. Boring meals. Boring stories. Boring jokes. Ugh! But boredom is more than a…

Sure, we’d all love to eat nutritionally-balanced, home-cooked meals every day, but that’s not always possible. Sometimes, we have to make do with takeout and frozen dinners. Sadly, most takeout meals and frozen dinners aren’t designed with nutrition or health in mind. If they were, they probably wouldn’t be as popular! Most of us worry…

New vegetarians often worry if they’re getting enough protein. Most people associate protein with meat, dairy, and other animal products. Their knowledge of plant-based protein starts and ends with beans! While beans are a good source of plant-based protein, it’s totally possible to get enough protein as a vegetarian without eating beans. But, first, let’s…

The key components of diabetes management are diet, exercise, medication, and regular check-ins with your healthcare team; everyone knows this. It’s the best-known way of preventing long-term complications.  However, diet, exercise, and medication are just part of the equation. To truly live well with diabetes, you also need to practice self- care (not everyone knows…

Everyone has memory lapses. Sometimes we misplace our keys, forget where we parked the car, or lose our train of thought when talking to someone. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re experiencing cognitive decline or have dementia (what a relief!).   Normal Forgetfulness vs. Age-Related Memory Loss vs. Dementia Why you probably don’t have dementia…

Here’s the amazing thing about your brain: It’s always changing, reorganizing and making new connections between neurons, depending on how you use it. This phenomenon, known as neuroplasticity, is the brain’s natural response to new experiences, thought patterns, and habits. What does any of this have to do with mental health? Interestingly, neuroplasticity can work…

Your brain is a powerful machine that can convince you of pretty much anything, including things that aren’t true! It can take a particularly rough morning and turn it into “I have the worst luck in the world!” or a slightly strange look from a stranger becomes “he /she doesn’t like me” or a myriad…

Many people around the world love a good nap. In fact, siestas are an integral part of some cultures. A quick nap boosts productivity and performance, according to some research. But, other studies (perhaps controversial) indicate a connection between napping and mortality. Napping during the day increases the risk of premature death by up to a third!…

The World Health Organization announced on March 11, 2020, that the Corona Virus (COVID-19) is a pandemic. Although we watched COVID-19 shut down China, Italy, Germany, Spain, with more countries being added to the list daily, it’s real now because it’s on our doorstep, not thousands of miles away. So let’s talk about how you…

Schools and child care centers are teeming with germs and contagious illnesses. Common infections like the flu, colds, stomach bugs, ear infections, and pink eye spread like wildfire. Most parents wish they could do more to protect their children. Even worse, kids bring these illnesses home and infect their siblings, parents, and other family members,…