Moving Beyond PPIs

Heartburn medication is the fifth most purchased over-the-counter medication. Dyspepsia or indigestion affects 21 percent of people, commonly women and smokers. The most common symptoms include abdominal discomfort, burning pain, bloating, nausea, or getting full as soon as you start to eat.  There are a variety of reasons one may have indigestion, including infection, ulcers,… Read more »

Gotta Love Garlic

Home sweet home. We’ve all gotten well acquainted with our digs over the last year, more so than ever before. How about your kitchen? Gotten to know every nook and cranny, I’m sure, as cooking is on a path to becoming the new normal post COVID.  In fact, according to a recent study by the… Read more »

Are You Eating Your Healthy Fats?

The controversy over dietary fats began in the 1940s when research started to link high cholesterol with heart disease. High dietary fat was blamed for high cholesterol, and many people avoided all fatty foods – even those that are health-promoting – for decades.  We now understand the relationship between dietary fat intake and cardiovascular disease… Read more »

Salty Solutions

Making healthier choices doesn’t mean giving up everything you love and crave; it’s about finding satisfying, convenient alternatives and getting creative! In this new column, I’ll share ideas and favorites. Today’s topic: SALTY SOLUTIONS Who doesn’t love salt? We know it’s something to be consumed in moderation, but we all crave it, and unfortunately, the… Read more »

An Important Year to Prevent the Flu

The upcoming flu season is causing concern for many people, compounding their worries about contracting coronavirus. Fortunately, the same behaviors that prevent transmission of COVID-19 – avoiding in-person gatherings, physical distancing when in public and wearing face masks – also protect you from the flu. Flu statistics and projections. The flu affects 3-10 percent of… Read more »

Working in Harmony with Your Microbiome

The devastating loss of human life from COVID-19 has recently highlighted the immense power of tiny, invisible microbes to shape our human experience. Microbes are microscopic organisms, including a variety of widely diverse species of bacteria and viruses. Bacterial species are highly adaptable to surviving almost any habitat, be it boiling geysers, the depths of… Read more »

Microgreens

Mighty Microgreens

In our vastly expanding world of information, it is no secret that what we choose to eat can directly affect our overall health. Chronic diseases continue to be a critical health concern across America.  In 2018, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) conducted a study estimating that 85 million adults consume fast food… Read more »

bottles with electrolytes

Do We Need Electrolyte Drinks?

Electrolyte hydration drinks are big business. The market is valued at $1.5 billion per year and growing due to increased awareness about health and fitness, along with a desire to avoid carbonated beverages. But before you gulp down a Gatorade or Emergen-C, let’s discuss what electrolytes are, whether you need to supplement them and potential… Read more »

Customizing Your Carb Count on Keto

The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet growing in popularity due to the many health benefits it can offer. The concept is to drastically reduce carbohydrate intake and increase healthy fat intake which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes very efficient at burning… Read more »

Your Health Matters - with Janet Zappala

The Miraculous Mushroom

For a while there, it seemed that kale was at the top of the superfood kingdom…on nearly every menu and making its way into practically everything. Even fast food eatery Chick-fil-A rolled out a superfood kale salad. The ubiquitous McDonald’s also incorporated the healthy green, offering a kale breakfast bowl. Now in 2020, it seems… Read more »

vegetables

Raw Vegan in The Valley

What is a raw vegan diet and why the heck would anyone follow it? I’ve been doing so for over 12 years now and can’t imagine eating any other way.  A raw vegan diet includes fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds not heated over 115 degrees. There is an elegant simplicity to eating raw vegan. Meal… Read more »