If you're not a vegetarian or vegan, you probably eat chicken, but what kind of chicken do you eat: conventional or free-range chicken? These days not all chicken farms are created equal. In fact, some of these places treat their birds poorly and produce some low-quality chicken meat — and quality isn't the only issue.…
There are so many reasons you need to make sure you consume an adequate amount of potassium-rich foods daily. An important electrolyte, potassium is also the third most abundant mineral in the body. It interacts with sodium to perform a number of important functions every single day, such as balancing fluids and mineral levels within…
Food allergies are immune-based diseases that have become a serious health concern in the United States, with an estimated 32 million Americans dealing with food allergy symptoms according to the food allergy research organization FARE. Despite the risk of severe allergic reactions and even death, there is no current cure for food allergies. The condition…
Did you know that the manufacturing of aloe vera extracts is one of the largest botanical industries in the world? In the U.S., it has found widespread use in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical and food industries. If you walk down the health and beauty isles of your local grocery store, you'll likely see multiple products made with aloe vera.…
Relentless itching, skin rashes, redness and blisters — these are the not-so-fun symptoms of scabies, a contagious skin disease caused by an infestation of the itch mite, Sarcoptes scabiei. It's estimated that more than 400 million scabies cases occur each year throughout the world! It's spread through personal contact by relatives, sexual partners, schoolchildren, chronically ill…
Athlete's foot affects anywhere from 3 percent to 15 percent of the population every year, and it's one of the most common types of fungal infections seen in humans. Up to to 25 percent of people (one in four) will likely develop symptoms at some point. Athlete's foot has some things in common with other fungal infections you've…
If you have dry, itchy, scaly, painful, red patches of skin that crop up, there's a chance you're suffering psoriasis symptoms. Psoriasis is a persistent autoimmune condition that causes red, raised plaque to form on the surface on skin, which can be both irritating and embarrassing. Considered to have no definitive cure, it usually comes…
Today, we have hundreds of different beauty products available to us — acne washes, toners, scrubs, etc. — but what did people use thousands of years ago before commercial chemicals existed to help heal their skin? When it comes to natural skin care, one time-honored medicinal plant is witch hazel, which Native Americans relied on for…
Sauerkraut, a form of fermented cabbage, has been popular throughout Central Europe for hundreds of years. Sauerkraut combines one of the healthiest foods there is (cabbage) with one of the most beneficial and time-honored food preparation methods ever used (fermentation). According to the Institute for Integrative Medicine at the University of Witten in Germany, sauerkraut…
Have you ever walked by a seemingly harmless plant and accidentally brushed up against it, only to feel a slight stinging or prickly pain? Chances are you have … and you very well may have come in contact with a stinging nettle plant. While you may curse the plant for the temporary discomfort, stinging nettle…
