The ABC's of IBS
There are ways to help treat IBS using safe, natural products, and life-style intervention.
Women's Heart Health
There are many ways to monitor and change your individual risk of heart disease.
Preventing Type 2 Diabetes Naturally
With the number of Type 2 Diabetes patients quickly rising, it's time to start preventing this disease by changing dietary and exercise habits. Dr. Jennifer Pilon sheds some light on how to prevent this disease naturally.
How to Lower Your Exposure to Pesticides
Get help decreasing your pesticide exposure without going over budget with the Environmental Working Group's lists of the "Dirty Dozen" and the "Clean Fifteen."
Auf Wiedersehen, Allergies
Adding delicious and healthful anti-inflammatory foods to your diet can help give your body a fighting chance if you suffer from seasonal allergies.
5 Reasons to Buy Fair Trade
Foods carrying the Fairtrade International (FLO) label may cost more, but farmers receive more per pound -- enough to promote traditional culture, education, and health.
Why Choose Grass-Fed Meat?
Grass-fed meat contains more anti-inflammatory fats, and more vitamins and minerals, than grain-fed meat.
Naturopathic Medicine for Kids
We can work together to protect our children’s future, by working to fortify habits that will support them for the rest of their lives.
GMOs: Understand the Basics
Nearly 90 percent of corn, soy, sugar beets, canola, and cotton in the United States are grown from genetically engineered seeds.
Treat Hormonal Migraines Naturally
If you suffer from hormonally mediated migraines, make an appointment with a naturopathic doctor (ND) to create a plan to treat your specific symptoms.
Acupressure Provides Healing Without Needles
If you like the idea of acupuncture but are wary of needles, you might consider acupressure, a healing therapy you can use on yourself by pressing with your hands on key points.
Evaluating the Paleo Diet
The main benefit of the Paleo diet is that it promotes eating whole, nutritious foods while avoiding refined, processed foods.
Managing Blood Sugar Made Easy
The easiest way to manage blood sugar is to decrease your sugar intake. Look at the ingredients and find foods that are low in sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and modified corn starch.
What Is an ND?
Naturopathic doctors (NDs) are trained as holistic primary care physicians who focus on prevention and wellness as well as the diagnosis and treatment of disease.
How to Combat Commuting Stress
It’s difficult to enjoy life when you’re stuck in the car with the air pollution, inability to control your environment and inability to get to your destination on time.
Reduce Waste in Your Kitchen
With a few minor changes, you can greatly reduce the waste in your kitchen, improving both the environment and your personal space.
Box Up a Fun and Healthy Lunch for Kids
A successful lunch includes more than just healthy foods. If your children are not excited about the contents of their lunch boxes, they may end up trading to the highest cookie bidder.
5 Simple Ways to Detoxify Your Body
While we cannot eliminate our exposure to toxins completely, we can support our body’s natural process of detoxification to promote optimal health.
How to Feed Your Young Athlete
Proper nutrition can keep active children nourished and healthy — and even give them an athletic advantage. The key to peak performance is whole foods.
What is a Postpartum Doula?
Postpartum doulas can help ease the transition to parenthood by helping you move toward confident independence and enjoyment in parenting your newborn.
3 Tips to Avoid Holiday Stress
Instead of waiting in long shopping lines, take steps to decrease stress and let the holidays again be a time of yuletide cheer.
Is Winter Weight Gain a Health Issue?
Many living creatures put on weight to prepare for winter, including black bears. Here are three ways you can keep winter weight gain under control.
5 Ways to Save While Buying Organic
Although growing your own fruits and veggies is one way to save on organic produce, there are other ways to stay within your budget while buying organic.
The Benefits of Green Tea
Studies have shown health-promoting effects ranging from cancer prevention to cholesterol balancing for people who regularly drink the ancient superfood.
9 Gluten-Free Grains
Don't feel like you have to give up grains because you're taking a break from gluten. There are plenty of gluten-free grains that are just as versatile as wheat.
How to Get Enough Vitamin D in Winter
If you're worried the sun's slumber in winter is keeping you from getting your daily dose of vitamin D, there are plenty of other ways to get your recommended daily amount.
What is a Homeopathic Remedy?
Homeopathic medicines assist your body in its natural direction toward healing through a principle known as “like curing like,” in which the medicine resembles the symptoms.
Are Veggies Healthier Raw or Cooked?
You can argue that vegetables and fruits are healthier when eaten raw, but cooking them also produces different nutrients and benefits that are worth exploring.
Horrifyingly Healthy Halloween Snacks
Halloween can be a recipe for disaster. Candy corn, cupcakes, brownies, sacks full of treats — talk about sugar overload! There's got to be a better option, right?
The Key to Wellness? It’s Gratitude, One Doctor Says
The most basic key to wellness isn't a drug, an exercise regimen or a particular diet, says natural medicine author Michael T. Murray, ND. He's become convinced that cultivating a spirit of gratitude is the foundational secret to health.
Clear up Acne with Chinese Herbal Medicine
Acne is one of the most common skin disorders in the United States, affecting nearly 85 percent of all people. You can treat the outward symptoms with creams and cover-ups, but traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) can address the imbalances that cause acne in the first place.
Take a Chance on Nutrient-Packed "Sea Greens"
Some of the ocean's greatest culinary delights have the worst reputations. We've already sung the praises of the healthy, safe, cheap, sustainable and (arguably) delicious sardine. Now it's time to re-evaluate seaweed, another nutrient-packed, environmentally friendly, affordable product of the ocean.
4 Tips for Holistic Weight Management
Warding off obesity isn't a matter of grueling exercise, faddish diets or giving up your favorite foods, according to Tiffany Reiss, PhD, director of the Exercise Science and Wellness program at Bastyr University.
Vitamin K for Bone Health
When it comes to bone health, you may think of nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D or minerals including magnesium, boron and zinc, which can be beneficial for protecting bones from fracture. However, there is another nutrient that often flies under the radar although it is equally important in long-term bone health: vitamin K.
Try These Superfood Snacks
Superfoods claim to lower bad cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, help control weight and support a long life, all without any harmful side effects.
5 Common Household Toxins to Avoid
As you go about your spring cleaning this year, consider these five sources of toxicity. “The most important thing you can do to prevent illness from chronic exposure to chemicals is to stop the exposure,” says John Hibbs, ND, who teaches environmental medicine and toxicology at Bastyr University.
Migraines and Food Triggers
As someone who suffers from migraines on an annual basis, periods of high stress in my life have been punctuated with memories of intense headaches.
How to Reduce Your Exposure to BPA
Bisphenol A (BPA) is ubiquitous in our society; it is in toys, baby bottles, vinyl goods, medical equipment and a host of other everyday products. It’s also in our urine: In a recent survey done by the National Health Nutrition Survey, BPA was detected in urine samples of 92.6 percent of Americans.
Healing Honey is Delicious and Nutritious
Minimally refined, delicious and purely from nature, honey makes for an excellent option when deciding how to sweeten your morning tea or fresh-baked pastry. But there is more to be appreciated in honey than just its good taste.
Safe and Effective Ways to "Spring" into Detoxification
As the days grow longer, many of us are eager to take advantage of the sunlight and re-implement our New Year's resolutions. If for you that means some time of "cleanse," here are three safe and effective ways to take your health back.
5 Tips to Help You Overcome Sugar Cravings
"Sweet is the first taste humans prefer from birth," says Christine Gerbstadt, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. While it seems that our craving for sweet foods may be hardwired into our DNA, it is possible to keep these cravings in check.
Calm the Cycle of Eczema With a Few Natural Treatments
Eczema, also known as atopic dermatitis, is a common condition and frequent complaint in primary care offices. It estimated to be prevalent in 1 percent of adults and 5 percent of children. The symptoms include dry, red, itchy and inflamed skin, most commonly on the face, hands, behind the knees and in the crook of the elbow.
Does Your Morning Coffee Love You Back?
It’s not a surprise that Seattle ranks No. 1 for coffee consumption in America. We love our caffeine, but what exactly are the effects of drinking so much coffee? Research can bring to light some of the facts about our favorite beverage.
Do We Need to Cook to be Healthy?
This is a question dietitians are asked frequently. Studies show improved health for individuals who choose a diet high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins, but low in saturated fats and sodium. So can you make healthy choices if you don't cook or don't have the equipment to cook?
What is So Important About Sleep?
The time we spend sleeping is commonly regarded as the time when our bodies get a chance to focus energy expenditure on tissue healing and rejuvenation. While the exact function of sleep still is not completely understood, we can make a number of conclusions based on a large volume of research examining the negative effects of sleep deprivation.
Get Calcium: Food or Supplement?
Calcium is a critical component of a healthy diet. It is required for growing and maintaining healthy bones, for muscle contractions and for transmitting messages throughout the nervous system.
Healthy Egg Substitutes
There are several reasons for using egg substitutes, whether it is because of an allergy, a vegan diet you're following, or you're simply out of eggs and don't have time to run to the store.
Natural Treatment Strategies for Overactive Bladder
Overactive bladder is a broad term used to describe a variety of symptoms that include an urgency to urinate, with or without incontinence; high frequency of urinating; and symptoms at night. However, it is important to see a physician to be diagnosed with overactive bladder as these symptoms may be caused by infections or other disease processes.
Nutrient Combinations for the Best Absorption
Peanut butter and jelly. Cookies and milk. Some things in life just work better together. While our bodies take in nutrients from foods even when they're eaten alone, some nutrients' absorption is increased when they are eaten at the same time. Fortunately, there are many foods that naturally contain these combinations. Here are some examples of great nutrient pairs:
Sensible Strategies for Weight Management
Weight management grabs more attention in advertisements and sells more books than almost any subject, with the side panels of websites, junk mail and TV shows all touting products and books to help people lose weight. A few of these strategies actually do work — but not for long.
Are Nonstick Pans Linked to Thyroid Disease?
For several years, synthetic chemicals have been suspected of contributing to common thyroid conditions such as hypo- and hyperthyroidism, as well as thyroid cancer. In the United States, 16 percent of women and 3 percent of men will develop some form of thyroid disease during their lives.
Grass vs. Grain-fed Meats
Can we say meat is meat, no matter what the animal is fed, grass or grain? Is there any difference? From some perspectives, there is a difference.
Is it a Cold or the Flu?
Knowing whether you have a cold or the flu can be difficult to determine, but it's important to know the difference because getting the flu can have life-threatening complications.
Creative Ways to Add Vegetables to Your Meals
Are you tired of that same old salad or boring side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower? We all know we should eat a wide variety of vegetables to get our complete daily dose of vitamins, minerals and fiber. But sometimes we get stuck in a rut, eating the same veggies, prepared the same way, over and over. Here are a few creative tips to help spice up your meals with extra veggies.
Discover the Power of the Pomegranate
Pomegranates are delicious, beautiful and packed with nutrients. Luckily, they are in season from October through January, so now is the perfect time to add this tasty fruit into your life and start reaping its benefits.
Tips for Managing Holiday Stress
The holiday season can leave many of us feeling more stressed than celebratory. From hectic schedules and traffic snarls to our anemic winter daylight, the pressures of daily life can add to our anxiety levels. Here are a few tips to keep in mind this holiday season to help keep the stress at bay.
Frozen Vegetables Can Be Better Than "Fresh"
Often times when we buy vegetables, we look for fresh ones. Nowadays, "fresh" can be a tricky word. At farmers' markets, produce is picked the day before or in the very early morning.
5 Strategies for Prostate Cancer Prevention
Prostate cancer has been touted by some as an inevitable result of aging. That is an assumption worth questioning. Statistically, according to the National Cancer Institute, 1-in-6 men in the U.S.
Probiotics and the Immune System
Probiotics are yeast or bacterial organisms that exist in our intestines and have many health benefits. Health professionals continue to learn more about the immune-supporting aspects of these "beneficial bacteria."
"Super Squash" a Hearty Food for Winter
As the temperature drops this autumn, hearty foods become more appealing and nourishing. One tasty type of vegetable to warm you up during the colder months is winter squash.
Don’t Settle for Heavy Metals
Toxic metal exposure has been linked to fatigue, autism and neurological disorders, so it's good to be aware of how some of these metals can leach their way into your life.
Take Control of Mold
If mold spores are causing health problems and other irritations, it's time to find and get rid of the source.
Kick the Caffeine Craving
If caffeine's negative side effects are outweighing its benefits, give these tips a try to cut the habit safely.
Top 10 Local Superfoods
Adding these local superfoods to your diet can help boost the amount of nutrients you take in.
Hiking and Camping, Naturally
Avoid the additives and preservatives in prepackaged camping foods and instead try packing these whole foods for your next trip to the great outdoors.
Salmon: Wild or Farmed?
The American Heart Association recommends eating two servings of fish per week (that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon) to help with heart health.
The Truth About Calories
Calorie-Free. High calorie. Reduced calorie. These terms cover food packages and magazine covers. But what is a "calorie"?
Punch up Your Water
The advice to drink eight to ten glasses of water a day can be intimidating, especially if you think water is boring.
Kick the Nightime Eating Habit
Nighttime, for some people, is a time for enjoying dinner, relaxing on the couch or falling asleep with a good book. Yet for others, it can be a time filled with anxiety, loneliness and hunger.
Break the Snacking Habit
Breaking the snacking habit is not impossible. There are many little things you can do to prevent yourself from grabbing those unneeded snacks throughout the day. Believe it or not, snacking is not usually done because of hunger, but more out of routine or boredom. Here are some strategies for avoiding getting caught up in the "snack trap":
Hidden MSG
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is a salt of glutamic acid, an amino acid and a building block of protein that occurs naturally in many foods such as seaweed and soybeans.
Nature's Best Seeds
Seeds are an incredibly rich source of nutrients, not only for the growth of a sprout, but also for our own health. Next time you need a snack, or a topping for your salad, consider one of these nutritious seeds:
Fiber and Weight Loss
There are two types of fiber in the diet: soluble fiber (water-soluble) and insoluble fiber (not water-soluble). Whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains usually contain at least some of both soluble and insoluble fiber.
Boosting Mental Health
Have you resolved to have a new perspective on life? Here are a few basic but powerful keys to maintaining good spirits throughout the year:
Breast Health Diet
In the United States breast cancer is second only to lung cancer as the most common cancer among women. A healthy diet, combined with exercise, is essential to decreasing your risk for breast cancer and boosting your immune system.
The Amazing Avocado
How could this unusual fruit with the green, bumpy flesh and buttery-textured interior be considered "amazing"? Here's how:
Nature's Hidden Source of Vitamin D
When vitamin D comes to mind, we usually think of sunshine. Sunshine is without a doubt the best source of vitamin D. However, we don't always have access to it, especially during the winter months, if we live at northern latitudes, or if we spend most of our time indoors.
Natural Bone Builders
There are many natural ways to support bone health, including diet, healthy digestion and exercise. Bone matrix is active living tissue and requires nourishment. We can eat the essential nutrients of our bones, specifically minerals and protein to keep them healthy and strong.
Immune Boosters
As the leaves fall and the rains remind us of what it means to live in the Pacific Northwest, many people start worrying about they can do to keep their immune system healthy and avoid colds and flus.
Breathe Easy with Acupuncture
Whether you are seeking relief from allergies, cold or flu, or sinus infections, acupuncture and East Asian medicine can help you out.
25 Naturally Gluten-free Snacks
Finding healthy, grab-and-go snacks can be challenging for the gluten-free eater. Gluten is pervasive in most packaged snack foods.
Introducing: The Aduki Bean
Aduki beans, otherwise known as azuki or adzuki beans, are small red beans cultivated throughout East Asia.
Golden Protection from Turmeric
Turmeric, a member of the ginger family, is a vibrant yellow spice that has been a core component of Indian medicine for centuries.
Bountiful Berries
Berries are ubiquitous in Seattle during the summertime. Blackberry bushes explode out onto the Burke Gilman trail. Large plastic buckets accompany the masses as they head into Magnuson Park. Red, blue and purple hues are ever-present at the farmers' markets.
Healthy Living on a Budget
When you're pinching pennies, it can seem hard to make healthy eating choices. But it's a good way to help keep your immune system strong and your stress level down.
Seaweed a versatile addition to any diet
A misperception exists that seaweeds are inedible and difficult to incorporate into the daily diet. In fact, they are one of the most versatile foods, providing abundant flavor and a natural source of salt to many different dishes.
Spring Into Family Fitness
By encouraging children to be active, parents can help prevent health risks associated with childhood obesity.