Not that long ago, the word “meditation” conjured up images of ascetics dwelling austerely in Himalayan caves. Today, just about every town in America has a yoga studio which typically offers some form of meditation practice. Until recently, however, no one really knew if meditation could offer consistent, practical benefits, or if it was merely… Read more »
A staggering number of people are living with addiction, anxiety or depression and that number continues to climb. Recent statistics reveal that between 25 to 50 percent of Americans are suffering from these conditions – or even a combination of all three. Until recently, the treatment of addiction, anxiety or depression was mainly limited to… Read more »
Did you know that sitting for long periods is detrimental to your health – even if you get the recommended 150 minutes of exercising per week? It’s true. One study found that adults who sat for four or more hours per day were at a 125 percent increased risk for cardiovascular disease as compared with… 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 »
For any person with diabetes or pre-diabetes, the holidays can be a trying time. The season presents many opportunities to eat outside of a typical low-glycemic diet plan, and blood sugar levels can soar. However, there are ways to enjoy your holiday celebrations while maintaining your health, weight, and blood sugar levels. Dietary Choices The… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Dr. David Perlmutter’s 2013 book Grain Brain has a lot of people questioning previously held beliefs regarding low-fat diets, grains and cholesterol. Much of what Perlmutter has to say about these subjects is completely opposite from what most Americans have been taught for the past 40 years. Regardless of what you may have been told… Read more »
Researchers have been saying it for years: engaging outdoor activity improves both mental and physical health. You probably recognize some widely recorded benefits of being in the great outdoors. Have you ever felt better – less stressed or overwhelmed – after taking a quiet walk? Have you ever stepped outside and appreciated the feeling of… Read more »
As we start a new school year in the Coachella Valley, many parents are seeking ways to help their children cope with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). According to a National Survey of Children’s Health conducted in 2011-2012 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 11% of school-aged children in the U.S. have… Read more »
Being of Indian descent, Ayurveda (which follows a lineage of basic philosophies and principles) has been a practice and lifestyle throughout my upbringing. As with any practice, I believe that many Ayurvedic health theories have some truth to them, and others don’t. Ay-ur-veda, which consists of two Sanskrit words, Ayur meaning ‘Life’ and Veda meaning… 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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »