The “Leaky Gut” Link to Autoimmunity

Autoimmune disease is an emerging health concern for millions of people. Autoimmunity results when components of the body’s immune system target one or more of a person’s own bodily tissues instead of attacking foreign bacteria or viruses. More than 40 autoimmune conditions have been identified, including type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, Hashimotos… Read more »

Finding Balance from an Ayurvedic Perspective

Ayurveda is an ancient practice of healing which views health and disease from a unique perspective. Originating in India, Ayurveda considers four main qualities of health. The first is healthy relationships, which means positive supportive relationships with yourself and your community. The second is a means of prosperity, more specifically, a way in which you… Read more »

Hope for PTS in our Community and Homes

It was once thought that the term “post-traumatic stress” (PTS) was reserved exclusively for military personnel and veterans. More and more often, however, we are hearing the term used for many others— from women and children, to our friends and acquaintances. PTS not only occurs on the battlefield, but also in our communities and homes.… Read more »

Relationship Tips for the Holidays

If your thoughts about the holiday season elicit emotions other than pure joy, you are not alone. Stress increases during the holidays and relationships can suffer. Pack your Holiday Toolkit with some new tools this year. Have realistic expectations and talk about them. The discrepancy between what you expect and what you get causes disappointment.… Read more »

Focusing on Fasciae for Chronic Pain Relief

Fascia is the soft tissue component of the connective tissue system that permeates the human body. An integral part of the musculoskeletal system, fascia forms a whole-body, continuous, 3D matrix of structural support that also penetrates and surrounds all of the body’s vital organs, providing an ongoing physiological support for the body’s metabolically active systems.… Read more »

Public Enemy #1: Sugar!

With her New York best-seller, The Virgin Diet, Rancho Mirage resident JJ Virgin, CNS, CHFS helped focus the national spotlight on food intolerance as the secret culprit to stubborn weight loss and impaired health. By identifying the seven most common foods to which our bodies negatively react with symptoms such as bloating, fatigue, foggy brain… Read more »

Acupuncture and Bell’s Palsy

Bell’s Palsy is a condition resulting from damage to the 7th cranial (facial) nerve, usually affecting only one side of the face.   Onset is rapid, with a mild weakness to total paralysis, which can cause the face to seem to “droop,” making smiling and other facial expressions difficult, and often impairing the ability to… Read more »

The “Old Stone Age” Diet

The Paleo Diet has attracted a lot of followers since the book by Dr. Loren Cordain was first printed back in 2002. Paleo refers to the ‘Old Stone Age’ which was about 333 generations ago. Dr. Cordain states that he didn’t discover the diet; rather, he and other researchers merely uncovered what was already there. … Read more »

Unexpectedly Reprieved: Getting Old with HIV

While the Coachella Valley has a higher than average population of people living with HIV, perhaps more revealing is that within that group, approximately 70% are between the ages of 49 and 65 – bell curve baby boomers. And the kicker is that we’re still here at all. During the worst of this 33-years-and-counting epidemic,… Read more »

Proving and Improving Ancient Acupuncture

Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) have been around for over 5,000 years. Ever since its introduction into the West, many have sought to correlate its teachings with Western biological paradigms.  The first theory of TCM’s fundamental concepts is that Qi, or vital energy, travels along defined pathways throughout the body. It is on these… Read more »

Meditation for Military Troops

Our military is well trained for the rigors of combat, but many veterans find themselves unprepared for the debilitating post traumatic stress many experience when they return home to their families. Coping with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and flashbacks of war experiences can be overwhelming. In January, Time magazine revealed that the number of male veterans… Read more »