Tag: wellness
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The Calming Power of Passionflower
For centuries, the unusual looking violet and white passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) has been used as a calming botanical treatment. Its use dates back to the Aztecs in Central America who used parts of the vine to treat insomnia. Native Americans used it to soothe inflammation in wounds. Spanish conquistadors brought passionflower to Europe and from there it…
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Resveratrol’s Protective Potential for the Kidneys
Found in plants such as grapes, berries, peanuts, and red wine, resveratrol is a biologically active compound that acts like an antioxidant, protecting the cells from damage due to toxins, aging, Type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Now, science is looking at how resveratrol may influence the course of chronic kidney disease (CKD). It’s important to…
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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Kidney Health
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a quite different perspective on the form, function, and health of the body, mind and spirit. Thousands of years old, TCM holds that a vital force of life, called Qi, surges through the body. Any imbalance to Qi can cause disease and illness. Imbalances are caused by an alteration in…
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Fall Farro & Roasted Tempeh Protein Bowl Recipe
Here’s a perfect dish for your fall picnic. Whether you’re looking to try your first vegan meal, or enhance your current recipes, farro is a healthy grain sure to please. In this recipe, the chewy, mildly nutty flavor of farro is spiced-up by the zest of smoked tempeh; the seasoned, roasted sweet potatoes and carrots…
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Milk Thistle
For over 2,000 years, Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) has been used as an herbal remedy for digestive, liver, kidney, and gallbladder conditions. The active ingredient in milk thistle is silymarin, which can be extracted from the seeds of the plant. Research has shown milk thistle has a protective effect on the liver and similar findings have been…
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Your Kidneys: Essential to Overall Health
Healthy kidneys are essential, not just for the urinary system, but for the entire body. They remove waste and help maintain the body’s internal environment, or homeostasis. Unfortunately, not everyone has healthy kidneys and very few people are even aware when there’s a problem. In fact, 33% of adults in the U.S. (that’s 1 in…
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Lathered in Mud: Ancient Treatment for Stress and Pain
Imagine lying on a massage table, a thick layer of mud smoothed across your skin with long deep strokes to help it sink in. For thousands of years, Traditional Medicine has considered “mudding” (aka mud bath, mud wrap) therapeutic for the skin, joints, muscles, and the mind. Today, in spas around the world, mud-based treatments…
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Bone Broth – An Old Fashioned Secret to Fight Osteoarthritis
There was a time when soup broth was made fresh, with vegetables, herbs, meat, and the bones from the animal, be it fish, poultry, or steer. As soup became a canned convenience food, bones were often left out of preparation. Today, bone broth has made a resurgence for important health reasons, including supporting the structures…
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Natural Approaches to Managing Osteoarthritis
Oh, my aching joints! There’s good reason why we hear this so often. Osteoarthritis, known as OA, is the most common musculoskeletal disease in the world and a prevalent factor in work absences, temporary or permanent disability, hospital admissions, and use of pain-management drugs. While OA can develop in any joint, the knee is most…
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Whole-Food and Synthetic Nutritional Supplements: Is one better than the other?
A fresh, whole-foods diet is the optimal way to obtain nutrients. However, environmental conditions and farming practices have depleted the soil of key nutrients we would typically obtain from food, making it impossible to get everything we need from food alone. Nutritional supplements provide a way to support the body’s needs. There are two broad…