Blogs

Last week, I received a 15-minute video on Operation Shanti called GOODNA, which was produced by a not-for-profit Canadian organization called Reel Youth.

GOODNA provides an up-close look at some of the street children that Operation Shanti has been reaching out to.

Please feel free to view GOODNA here: Read more

When eaten together, carrots and avocado provide a combination of nutrients that can strengthen your immune system and support your vision.

The carotenoids in carrots and healthy fat in avocado can contribute to healthy vitamin A status, and vitamin A serves your immune system in the following ways:

1. Vitamin A and its metabolites help to maintain the structure and function of your skin and the mucosal cells that line your respiratory tract, digestive tract, and urinary tract; your skin and mucosal linings are barriers that act as your body's first line of defense against harmful microbes and substances.

2. Vitamin A plays an important role in the development and differentiation of your white blood cells, which play essential roles in your immune system.

One of our readers, a professional photographer named Julia Mazza, surprised me a short while ago with a gift of several photographs of our Authentic Tibetan Goji Berries and Raw Chocolate (Cacao) Nibs.

Nutrient-dense foods never looked so beautiful, wouldn't you say? Many thanks to Julia for generously sharing her work with our readers. Read more

What you don't know about vitamins and minerals may destroy your health. I don't make this statement lightly, as I have worked with enough people who have hurt their health with synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements to know that experiencing vitamin and mineral toxicity is far more common than you might think.

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble vitamins, meaning that these vitamins can be stored in your fat tissues. Even if you are super lean, your body has significant fat stores in and around all of your organs, as well as in the layer of fascia that lies between your muscles and skin. When consumed in excess, fat-soluble vitamins can cause a number of symptoms related to toxicity since they are easily stored in your body. Read more

If you already know that 100% whole food vitamin and mineral supplements are far better for your health than synthetic vitamin and mineral supplements, you know more about how to healthfully take vitamins and minerals than the vast majority of conventional health care practitioners.

While I firmly believe that regular use of whole food supplements can ensure optimal health, I also believe that your primary source of natural vitamins, minerals, and other micronutrients and macronutrients should be fresh, whole foods (locally grown, whenever possible). Read more

If you take a look at a variety of vitamin C supplements, you will find that the majority of them contain only ascorbic acid or a compound called ascorbate, which is a less acidic form of acorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is NOT vitamin C. It represents the outer ring that serves as a protective shell for the entire vitamin C complex, much like an orange peel that serves as a protective shell for an orange.

Real vitamin C found in whole foods like fruits and vegetables contains the following components: Read more

Earlier this month, I shared a Sweet Potato and Pecan Salad with Lime Recipe on this blog that generated several enthusiastic reviews. One appreciative reader even left a phone message of thanks for that recipe! Among the reviews were several requests for more recipes that call for sweet potatoes.

I hope that this recipe for homestyle sweet potato soup is appreciated as much as the last sweet potato recipe was. It's one of the first healthy recipes that I shared on this site, and it remains one of our family's favorite healthy soups. Read more

In the spring of 2005, when I was pregnant for the first time, I wrote an article about the potential dangers of leaving a baby to cry. I received much feedback on this topic, some in support of my views, some in complete disagreement of my views, and some merely encouraging an open mind. Three years, two children, and an enormous accumulation of sleep-debt later, do I still believe that it is wrong to leave a baby to cry?

Yes and no.

While I still believe in attachment theory and consider myself to be an attachment parent, through my experiences with our babies I have come to realize that this issue, as with most of life's issues, is not black and white. Read more

Approximately 60,000 to 70,000 cell phones are sold each day in the United States. Over 110 million Americans use cell phones. And worldwide, it is estimated that approximately 1 billion people use cell phones. As the number of cell phones, cell phone towers, and other wireless antennas increase rapidly in industrialized nations, should you be concerned about the effects that regular exposure to radio frequency radiation can have on your health?

If you're not concerned about the effect that wireless devices and broadcasting antennas can have on your health, I encourage you to view "Public Exposure: DNA, Democracy and the Wireless Revolution," a documentary that provides the best overall look at the connection between radio frequency radiation and human health that I have ever come across. Read more

In Japan, expensive varieties of mushroom like maitake and matsutake have long been thought to contain more health-promoting nutrients than the humble white mushroom. A new study, conducted by a government research institution in France, indicates that the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) has at least as much antioxidant power as more expensive varieties like maitake and matsutake.

White button mushrooms are the youngest form of Agaricus bisporus. If left to grow, white button mushrooms turn into Crimini mushrooms. When Crimini mushrooms are left to grow another 2-3 days, they turn into Portobello mushrooms. Read more