Although the rates of all forms of autoimmune disease continue to rise, one in particular that is experiencing explosive growth is Parkinson’s disease (PD). Second only to Alzheimer’s at this point in the neurological disease category, about 10 million people worldwide and one million Americans suffer from PD.  But those numbers may be grossly understated because many people don’t get diagnosed in the early stages of the disease.  In addition, proper diagnosis can be muddied...

The holidays are upon us!  And while they should be the “most wonderful time of the year”--a festive time to share with family and friends--sadly, for many people they are instead filled with sickness or depression (or both).  But there are some very good reasons why that happens. First, the holidays bring about stress for a lot of people.  Stress can cause a domino effect of physical and mental issues which can quickly turn a...

  I’m going to share some of my personal past with you today in a way that I never have. While I have mentioned in a blog or two that my Dad died of a massive heart attack at age 58 (when I was 15), that’s not the whole story. You see, in addition to (obviously) having heart disease, my Dad was also an alcoholic.  All that meant to me as a kid was a...

  If you slam your thumb with a hammer, there’s a pretty clear connection between that and the throbbing you feel. If you cut your finger on broken glass, the cause and effect is obvious. Or if you’re like I was as a kid and slide down your icy driveway, fall and slam your arm on the ground, you won’t be surprised to wear a cast for 8 weeks. But there are other issues where...

  The National Institute of Mental Health currently estimates that over 47 million American adults suffer from anxiety, as well as 23 million adolescents.  In addition, depression affects 16 million adults and over 3 million kids.  That brings the tally up to about 89 million people or nearly one third of the US population that is dealing with mental health issues. If that doesn’t scare you, I don’t know what will. [[big4]]The current trends in...

Here are some fun facts about that 3-1/2 pound wonder inside your skull, and 4 very effective ways to keep it sharp well into your golden years.