Alternatives to drugging our children…

 A recent article by Megan Johnson in U.S. News & World Report explored 9 natural, drug-free treatments for ADHD that have all shown to have promise and positive outcomes for the children involved.  Her list includes; positive parenting, treatment programs, neuro feedback, interactive metronome training, meditation, a natural environment, better sleep, diet, and exercise.
Positive Parenting:  Apparently there has been research that shows some similarities among the parents of ADHD kids.  A study published in Clinical Pediatrics, suggests that having a child with ADHD elicits high levels …

These days there has been a lot of attention placed on aging and along with that Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.  Emerging research has shown that the simple act of reading, playing crossword puzzles, or doing crafts can decrease your chances of mental decline as you age.  Some neuro-scientists have taken this a step further and have been developing specific, targeted exercises to not only stave off dementia, but to also improve mental sharpness, memory, attention, processing speed and cognitive control (decision making and planning).  I don’t know about you, but …

The levels of insulin in your blood may be the single most important chemical level to your health and wellness.   Most are aware that insulin has something to do with regulating blood sugar, but what is less well known is that insulin has its fingers in almost every organ system in the body, and as the regulation and then levels of insulin in the blood get thrown off, its effects are generally detrimental, and in fact, most of the diseases of aging have direct relationships to the balance of this …

·       Free radicals what they are and what they do
At this point in our story it is important to understand what a free radical is, and what it does.
A free radical is a highly reactive molecule with an unpaired electron in its outer shell.  What this means is that it is a particle floating around in your system looking to steal an electron from some other molecule.  Free radicals are generally not too picky, they will take an electron usually from the first molecule they bump into, usually the membrane …

            Trans Fats 
Trans fats are man-made fats that are created during the hydrogenation process.  They are unnatural and very toxic to your body.  Some of the effects they have on the body are, cancer, atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, immune system dysfunction, low-birth-weight babies, birth defects, decreased visual acuity, sterility, and problems with bones and tendons.[i]
           
What are trans fats, and where do they come from? 
Trans fats are a new player on the scene of modern foods.  They are abundant in packaged and processed foods.  The process of creating trans fats is …

Cholesterol story,

At some time in our recent history it came to the awareness of the medical community that the incidence of heart attacks and heart disease were increasing.  This encouraged research into what was the cause of heart attacks, and what were the warning signs and medical tests that could be done to detect the likelihood of you having a heart attack sometime soon. 
Following the usual reductionist process the researchers took dead bodies of those who died from HA and dissected the hearts and surrounding blood vessels.  What they discovered …