Denise Minger is curious, tenacious, witty and smart. She graduated summa cum laude with a major in English and aspirations of becoming a college professor. Her passion is writing and in school she was drawn to classes that culminated in 40-page research papers because she “deeply enjoyed producing them.” But upon graduating, life took a… Read more »
Vitamin D is a nutrient present in almost every single cell in the body. It is primarily used to regulate calcium and mineral uptake, mineral metabolism, and bone growth. However, the abundance of vitamin D in the body’s cells indicates it has much broader actions than may be entirely known. One main role of vitamin… Read more »
Recently, I was privileged to train with a leading brain specialist who repeatedly reviewed with our team that the brain always does the best it can with the resources it has available. She demonstrated clinical examples how water intake, excellent nutrition, sleep, and listening to body cues alter brain function. Brain disorders affect 1 in… Read more »
It’s the start of a new school year, and parents are faced with the same challenge: how to prepare healthy, easy, and nutritious school lunches every day. Healthy school lunches do not need to be time consuming, or expensive. The key to creating nutritious lunch options is staying well stocked and thinking ahead. Maintaining a… Read more »
The fitness industry is flooded with supplements that claim to make you stronger. There are websites, magazines, books and of course, your friends to show you the way to more muscle. The problem is that many of these supplements are not healthy for the average gym guy and may even contain illegal performance-enhancing ingredients. Some… Read more »
Nutritional deficiencies often go unnoticed or undiscovered in routine lab work and annual physicals. However, each vitamin, mineral, and nutrient has specific deficiency signs and symptoms that commonly occur. By paying attention to changes in our body’s physical health, deficiencies can be assessed before any long-term complications. A list of common nutritional deficiencies below is… Read more »
The “Dietary Guidelines for Americans” are revised every five years to fulfill a mission of identifying foods and beverages that support Americans in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, promoting health and preventing disease. The 2015 Guidelines reflect “two fundamental realities. First, about half of all American adults – 117 million individuals – have one… Read more »
The last fifty years have seen major advances in modern medicine and nutrition knowledge which have extended the number of years we can expect to live, and the quality of life we can hope to enjoy. While retirement age used to be about stopping, now it is about going. Considerable research has been done to… Read more »
Do you feel confused by all the latest dietary trends? Although there seem to be hundreds of ways we are advised to eat, most diets can be grouped into three categories based on their similarities: PALEO refers to a diet made up of foods presumed to make up the diet of early humans, consisting chiefly… Read more »
During the last decade, there has been increased focus on foods and chemicals thought to be harmful to the body. Of particular controversy are Genetically Modified Organism (or GMO) foods. Despite all the attention, many people are still unaware of exactly what GMO foods are, and why are they potentially harmful. The term “GMO food”… Read more »
Tired of traditional dieting? Mindful eating is a truly natural, conscious alternative that works. How often do you eat in a really unconscious state, with your attention in conversation or TV? By “unconscious,” I’m referring to having attention somewhere other than on the food and the thoughts, emotions and sensations that arise around food. When… Read more »
Feeling anxious or having episodes of anxiety can be very overwhelming and debilitating; yet struggling with daily anxiety is a common issue for many people. Fortunately, there are many simple, natural approaches to reducing anxiety. One of the simplest – and a necessary fundamental treatment – is a healthy diet as dietary choices can either… Read more »
Choices for health can be complicated – especially when you have health care practitioners with different opinions and/or the information available is contradictory. This is why it is important for us as consumers to do our research and make informed decisions for ourselves. Such is the case with food sensitivity testing which has become a… Read more »
November marks the beginning of Coachella Valley’s busiest season. The weather is perfect, streets are full of cars, and your calendar is booked solid through March. After months of long days, lack of sleep, and poor eating habits, it is just a matter of time before it takes a serious toll on your body. You… Read more »
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 »
Nutrition is vital, in the true sense of the word, at any age. Much is written about it and research published. My wife Carol and I attempt to keep up. The conclusions lead to individual choices: What makes sense for you? Are you willing to make a commitment for long-term goals? From personal experience it… Read more »
This summer I had the opportunity to travel to France for the first time. When asked what the most impressionable aspect of my trip was I always mentioned the food, or what I like to call “haute cuisine.” Food in France is taken seriously. The way the French eat reflects their heritage, and most foods… Read more »
According to statistics published by the Mayo Clinic and other university studies, the average adult American does not consume enough fruits and vegetables. Estimates are about 70% depending upon the specific study. Obviously, this represents a majority of the population. I, therefore, strongly recommend at least nine different fruits or vegetables, or a combination thereof,… Read more »
Kids and teens from the Boys & Girls Club of Indio are learning about gardening and nutrition through hands-on experience. Last summer, they worked with Marriott International and the University of California Cooperative Extension to build raised garden boxes which they filled with seedlings. This year, they expanded their gardens to add a larger… Read more »
Terry Wahls, MD, is an Assistant Chief of Staff at Iowa City VA Health Care and clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa. She has practiced medicine for over 30 years and is board-certified in internal medicine. Like most physicians, Dr. Wahls treated her patients’ ailments with drugs and surgical procedures, until she… Read more »
