I’m often asked what the most important vitamins and minerals are, and my response is always, “All of them.” But a certain mineral stands out from the others because it supports great health in a variety of ways—and getting too little of it can have serious consequences. I’m talking about magnesium! Here’s the scoop on all that magnesium does for you, why you may not be getting enough (because falling short is more common...

  I’d like to talk today about something that most of us experience at one time or another. Constipation! But before I get into the nitty-gritty of Nature failing to call for you, I have a funny story to share: A very dear friend of mine knows a gal who doesn’t bother with laxatives, enemas or prune juice when she gets constipated. Instead, she goes to McDonald’s and gets a Big Mac and fries. She...

  If you’ve been a reader of mine for a while, you may recall that I’ve written several times about subtle signs your body can give you when things aren’t quite right. Take, for instance, your “products of excrement.” You can learn a whole lot from looking in the toilet bowl before you flush. The tongue is another example. A healthy tongue is generally pinkish and relatively smooth. Changes in its color, coating, texture or...

  Judging by the ocean of digestive medications that you see in every drug store in America (as well as many grocery and department stores), I think it’s safe to say that there are a whole lot of us for whom “GBCD”—gas, bloating, constipation and/or diarrhea—is a regular occurrence. Fair statement? What makes this especially difficult is that there are a multitude of possible reasons why you’re bloated, gassy and have anything-but-normal BMs…so getting to...

  In a perfect world, reliable information and advice on how to stay healthy and prevent disease would be all around us. No matter what health agency or practitioner you consulted, their advice would be truthful and centered on safety and effectiveness, with no influence or bias in any way. Hopefully, you realize we don’t live in a perfect world. Much of the health information we are exposed to is incomplete, misleading or influenced by...

  That time of year is upon us. Summer is winding down, fall is fast approaching, kids are going back to school, cooler temperatures are around the corner, and the holidays will be here before you know it. And you know what that means… People will be getting sick with colds and flu! Of course, pharma would like you to believe that your best defense lies in flu shots, Tamiflu and the ocean of cough...