Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)—such as Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid—are the longstanding go-to treatment for acid reflux/GERD. PPIs “work” (and I mean that in the loosest sense of the word) by raising your stomach’s pH and shutting down its acid production.  With less acid in the stomach to shoot up in your throat, you feel relief from your reflux. What could possibly go wrong? A lot. What many people don’t realize is that acid reducers...

  I feel truly blessed to be able to say that I love what I do.  It really jazzes me to write books and blogs, consult one on one with clients, design helpful supplements, give dietary suggestions, and one of my very favorite things to do--speak and interact with people at conferences. Normally the questions I get at conferences are geared toward what I just spoke about—whether it’s IBS, energy, the importance of pH, etc.—but...

  I don't think I’d be shocking you today if I said that the health of your GI tract has a major effect on whether or not you suffer from problems like acid reflux, constipation, gas or bloating. You might also remember that your gut houses most your immune system, which helps protect you against infections, viruses and diseases. But here's something that might NOT occur to you. The health of your gut can also...

  Here we go again. The pharmaceutical industry has made yet ANOTHER “slip-up” that has potentially threatened the lives of millions of people using one of its toxic medications. This time it’s ranitidine (aka Zantac). The FDA recently recalled ranitidine because it contains N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is a human carcinogen, and the attorneys are lining up to file a tsunami of lawsuits on behalf of cancer sufferers. What makes this particularly frightening is that Zantac...

  With all the COVID-19 lockdowns, layoffs, job losses, destruction of small businesses, emptying of life savings and uncertainty about when and if life will ever return to normal, it is safe to say that the effects of this situation may linger and cause pain and suffering for far longer than the virus ever would.      And that is especially true when you consider the far-reaching and potentially deadly effects of chronic stress.    Most...

  Probably the biggest downfall of our mainstream medical system is that it’s primarily symptom-focused and not cause-focused.  So much emphasis is placed on prescribing measures (usually drugs) that lessen or take away symptoms while the underlying cause remains largely unexplored. As a result, millions of people spend a good part of their lives chained to a prescription bottle because without it, their symptoms come back and they feel miserable.  Plus let’s not forget that...