I would venture to say that there is no subject on God’s green earth that is as poorly understood as cholesterol. When talking about cholesterol, the extent of most people’s understanding is that it’s the demon that leads to heart disease and the magic number to strive for is 200, baby. And if your blood tests show you’re in the elevated range, welcome to the world of statins. But how did we get here? ...

  New! Holistic Blends is testing the option to listen to select blogs.  Let us know your thoughts in the comments section of the blog below.   I’d like to talk to you today about a trend that I am seeing in the health field that is rather disturbing and affecting increasing numbers of people. Despite our advances in new treatments and medications, and the fact that we spend more per capita on health care...

  If you’re one of the 66 million people in the US with acid reflux, you know the misery it causes. This can go WAY beyond a 4-alarm fire in your chest and include chest pain, regurgitation, coughing, difficulty swallowing and sore throat. But there’s another consequence of acid reflux that is far worse than belching or sleeping propped up on pillows. Barrett’s esophagus. Let’s look at this silent and potentially deadly condition, as well...

  March is “National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.” Since colorectal cancer is second only to lung cancer in terms of deadliness, it’s good to be aware of it and more importantly, know how to prevent it. Colorectal cancer is rather personal to me since my Mom had it back in 1978 and ended up with a permanent colostomy as a result. When she was first diagnosed, it seemed so shocking to 15 year-old me, but...

  Here’s an eye-opening statistic for you today:  Seven out of 10 Americans take at least one prescription medication every day.  So in other words, it’s the norm to be medicated, and you’re a weirdo if you’re not. And while that may be cause for celebration at Pfizer, Astra Zeneca, Merck and Johnson & Johnson, for the average person just trying to get relief from a health issue, it’s anything but celebratory. Because while drugs...

  As a holistic nutrition coach, when I see the horrible diet advice out there that people are given or see on “health” sites or in magazines, it makes me seethe. No wonder nearly 8 out of 10 of us are sick, overweight and medicated. And one of the biggest problems is that many sources of dreadful advice appear to be credible! For example, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends calorie-free drinks (AKA artificial sweeteners),...