Some time ago, on a trip to British Columbia, I ate in a local restaurant. When eating out, I always try to order something simple, without a gravy or sauce, since these sauces are bound to contain MSG. So, I ordered a plain crab cake with rice and vegetables — no sauce, no mayo. Boy, did that crab cake taste good! About midnight I knew why. I woke up with a dry mouth, a terrible thirst and a headache. The next day I felt sore all over, like I’d been in a fight. My hands felt like they had arthritis. Fortunately, since I don’t eat food containing MSG very often, the symptoms cleared by the nex ..read more

The makeup of gut flora at birth and during the first year of life may play a key role in the development of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), communication disorders and intellectual disability.1 Worldwide, 3.4 billion people suffer from health conditions that affect the nervous system.2 While much remains to be discovered about how early gut microbiota affect cognition, it’s known that gut bacteria are involved in metabolism, neurological health, immune function and the health of the gastrointestinal tract ..read more

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published December 11, 2017. As you've cracked eggs over a skillet or mixing bowl over the years, it may never have occurred to you that the eggshell, and not just the egg, may offer considerable nutritional benefits. A study entitled "Eggshell Membrane: A Possible New Natural Therapeutic for Joint and Connective Tissue Disorders," published in Clinical Interventions in Aging, supported this hypothesis. Researchers tested the concept of using natural eggshell membranes in supplement form, or NEM, as a: "Novel dietary supplement as i ..read more

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published April 10, 2017. What large, exotic fruit is related to breadfruit, hailed as a "miracle" crop that could help feed the world and tastes like pulled pork? Give up? The answer is jackfruit, aka Artocarpus heterophyllus. Common and relatively inexpensive in the Philippines, Jamaica, Southeast Asia, Brazil and other tropical climates, it has shown up more often in American grocery stores. While jackfruits are similar in color to the inside of kiwifruit when they're not yet ripe, and later brown, the similarity ends there because ..read more

Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines are being described as a "new era in vaccinology."1 Research is underway to develop mRNA shots for not only coronaviruses but also C. difficile, hepatitis C, influenza, malaria, norovirus, cancer and more2 — despite the fact that all mRNA shots are likely ineffective and/or dangerous. The most recent mRNA failure was a phase 1 trial of Moderna’s mRNA human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) injection. Larger trials were halted after a high rate of "puzzling skin side effects" occurred. "We are taking this very seriously," Carl Dieffenbach, head of the Divis ..read more

The artificial sweetener aspartame is primarily made up of aspartic acid and phenylalanine. The phenylalanine has been synthetically modified to carry a methyl group, which provides most of the sweetness. That phenylalanine methyl bond, called a methyl ester, is very weak, which allows the methyl group on the phenylalanine to easily break off and form methanol. You may have heard the claim that aspartame is harmless because methanol is also found in fruits and vegetables. However, in fruits and vegetables, the methanol is firmly bonded to pectin, allowing it to be safely passed through your di ..read more

Editor's Note: This article is a reprint. It was originally published September 11, 2017. Your skin is the largest organ of your body, so treating it with TLC and maintaining its health will go a long way toward making you look and feel your best. Besides consisting of blood vessels, sweat glands and nerve endings, your skin helps remove waste, aids in digestion and has a lot to do with good circulation. Nicole Eckert, a certified holistic nutritionist based in Newmarket, Ontario, believes that delving into a balanced, nutritionally optimal lifestyle should include a practice some have never h ..read more

Did you know that herpes and shingles are common infections and are caused by one of the more than 100 known herpesviruses?1 While they have similarities, they are different conditions with different presentations, treatments and length of the outbreak. Identifying the correct infection may help you get quicker relief. Eight herpesviruses routinely infect humans. These include herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, Epstein-Barr virus, varicella-zoster virus (chickenpox), cytomegalovirus, Kaposi’s sarcoma virus and human herpesvirus 6 (types A and B) and 7. Each herpesvirus produces a unique infec ..read more

Understanding the importance of CO2 to human physiology was one of the things that made me realize that being a good carb burner is necessary to achieve optimal health. CO2 is health supporting. And the proper oxidation of carbohydrates produces 50% more carbon dioxide than fat oxidation (in other words, you produce 50% more CO2 when you properly burn carbs). Many understand how important oxygen is — we have to breathe, right? Oxygen is vital for energy metabolism. It is the final electron acceptor in the electron transport chain. And when O2 isn’t available in the cell, our cells then use the ..read more

Joy and health share a deep and intricate connection, which is why I am now starting to shift my focus toward the weak link in this relationship, namely Joy or, more accurately, the lack of Joy that most people experience. What many fail to realize is that Joy is one of the most powerful metrics for making decisions that empower and enrich our lives. “Joy” is capitalized here to emphasize the deeper, more profound state of contentment that I want to convey. It’s a type of fulfillment that transcends fleeting moments of happiness. Joy Will Guide You Toward Your Unique Purpose While Joy and happ ..read more