20 Tips to Ensure You Get Enough Sleep

We all need a good night’s sleep, but it’s not uncommon to struggle with getting one. It’s estimated that one in three people will suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. Most of us will experience short-term insomnia, which is caused by stress or a short-term disruption in sleep patterns, like travel, a sick child, noisy neighbors or excitement about an upcoming event. Long-term insomnia, which is defined as continuously broken sleep patterns lasting more than four weeks, can be a sign of clinical depression or another serious medical condition that you should discuss with your doctor. Insomnia [Read More]

Why Detoxification Matters

I’ve had the issue of detoxification on my list of articles to write for some time because it’s such an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The foods we eat, the chemicals we put on our face and skin, inhale in our homes and outside, and ingest through our cooking have been shown to cause cancer, lead to sex changes in animals, and overwhelm our immune systems. We all need to find some simple ways to minimize our exposure and to help our bodies rid themselves of what we’ve already been exposed to (even babies are born with a toxic [Read More]

Vitamin D: Why It May Be One of the Most Important Supplements for Good Health

I started work on an article about sunshine and its role in preventing and treating cancer. There was so much research about the health benefits of sunshine and vitamin D that I’m still digging through it all! While that’s coming soon, in the meantime, I thought it would be helpful to lay the foundation for why vitamin D is so important and look at the multitude of health benefits it provides. Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, has been getting a lot of press lately, and for good reason. While we have always known it helps with bone health as it [Read More]

Climbing the Tree for Health: The Power of Coconut

Nothing makes me think of summer more than coconut.  Whether it’s the smell of coconut- infused suntan lotion or the taste of a pina colada, the presence of coconut signifies sunshine, warm weather and fun. But coconut is more than just a sign of summer or the hallmark of a winter vacation somewhere warm: it is one of the healthiest foods you are probably not eating (or drinking!). Coconut is rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber and it sustains about one-third of the world as a functional food:  one that yields numerous health benefits even beyond its nutritional benefits. Today [Read More]

Save Money on Produce… and Get Healthier Too!

It’s my favorite time of year! Not just because the weather is finally warming up but because it is time for the Environmental Working Group’s annual release of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 fruits and vegetables. As we turn the corner, (finally!) toward Spring, it’s a perfect time to talk about choosing the fruits and vegetables and the tradeoffs between your health and your finances. As a result of the diminished nutrient profiles in foods due to modern farming practices, we need to eat more fruits and vegetables than ever. You may remember a prior article in which [Read More]

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