I’ve written before about toxic bedding and how to choose the right pillow (is your pillow toxic?), but now I want to share how to choose the right mattress. Getting sufficient, high-quality sleep is one of the best things you can do for your health. Sleep allows the body to reset after a long day, balances…
Hypernatremia is a condition that occurs due to dehydration (low levels of body water) and an imbalance in electrolytes, including sodium and potassium. A key difference between hypernatremia and common dehydration is who these problems usually affect. Athletes or those who don't drink enough water are more prone to experiencing dehydration; however, the elderly or…
About 35 million Americans suffer from a sinus infection or sinusitis every year. (1) Sinusitis is an inflammation, or swelling, of the tissue lining the sinuses that leads to an infection. It can result in mucus build-up and pain. If you've ever experienced a sinus infection, then you know just how unpleasant it can be — much…
Different types of hernias develop inside different parts of the body, causing an abnormal bulging of one area into another. A hiatal hernia, also known as a hiatus hernia, forms inside the diaphragm, the muscular area that lays between the chest and the lower abdomen. It's the most common diaphragmatic hernia, with the prevalence rate of hiatal hernia is between 13 percent…
Eye strain — also called "tired eyes" or eye fatigue — is believed to be a problem for more people today than ever before. Why is this? With more time spent staring into electronically-lit screens everyday (such as phones or computers) along with less simply resting the eyes, most of us are experiencing eye strain. A 2016…
Diabetes insipidus, is a debilitating and rare disease, with a prevalence of 1 out of 25,000 people. Often referred to as "water diabetes," it is a condition characterized by frequent and heavy urination, excessive thirst and an overall feeling of weakness. It's caused by a defect in the pituitary gland or in the kidneys. (1) The…
The loss of pituitary gland hormone production — also known as hypopituitarism — can be a serious, life-long condition. The pituitary gland is our master gland. It helps to produce many hormones that are necessary for our bodies to function properly. Symptoms for this rare condition can be severe. However, with appropriate treatment, individuals with hypopituitarism…
Anorexia has long been thought of as a woman's problem — and while it's true that historically an estimated 90 percent to 95 percent of anorexia nervosa sufferers have been female, the disorder is also becoming more common among men. (1) Today, around 1 percent of all women living in the U.S. are considered to…
Sepsis can be life-threatening, especially for anyone with a weakened immune system or a chronic illness. At a cost of almost $24 billion each year, sepsis has been named the most expensive in-patient cost in American hospitals as of 2014. Another scary statistic — 40 percent of patients diagnosed with severe sepsis die. Sepsis is said to kill 258,000…
I'm a bit of a condiment fan. They allow you to spice up burgers, dip your veggies or jazz up any food with minimal effort. Unfortunately, most condiments and sauces that you can purchase at the store are full of preservatives, hard-to-pronounce ingredients and tons of refined sugar. That's why I usually prefer making my…
