February 2009

Beyond Bon Appetite! What we can learn from the French

by Cindy Gray on February 25th, 2009

Ah, the French… We are so intrigued by their simple, yet mysterious ways…their exquisite cuisine, their sexy cafe culture, their aloof allure. We watch as they savor for hours their prize-winning wines and fat-filled sauces…wines and sauces so delicious, surely they’re heaven-sent. Then, to make matters worse, we watch as the French are known for trim waistlines, long life spans—and despite their unhealthy intake of saturated fat—the French have an overall lower rate of heart disease!!! The audacity! How dare they!! How do they do this? More importantly… How can WE do it too? Recent research tells us that in

A Happy Marriage Nurtures The Body And The Soul

by Sheila McCormick on February 18th, 2009

Tis the season to celebrate romance and recent studies have confirmed that the state of our physical health is determined, in part, by the quality of our relationships, especially marriage. Statistics show that happily married people live longer, are healthier, have fewer heart attacks and other diseases, have fewer problems with alcohol, behave in less risky ways and have more satisfying sex lives. Married people are more likely to wear seat belts, be active, eat breakfast and not smoke. In other words, when you decide to marry someone you are putting them in a position to significantly affect your mental

Chocoholics Rejoice! Dark Chocolate Is Delicious And Healthy

by Sheila McCormick on February 11th, 2009

Let’s face it, Valentine’s Day just wouldn’t be the same without chocolate. Fortunately, recent studies have shown that you can satisfy your sweetheart’s chocolate cravings in a healthy way, provided you give dark chocolate. We crave chocolate for its aroma, creaminess and comforting flavor. How can anything that tastes as delicious as dark chocolate possibly be good for you? In recent years health conscious consumers have been delighted to discover that dark chocolate in its purest form is loaded with health-boosting phytonutrients and flavonoids, both powerful antioxidants that help combat free radicals in the body. At high levels, free radicals

Psycho-Neuro-What?

by Cindy Gray on February 5th, 2009

Psychoneuroimmunology, a tongue-twister to say the least, is simply a term that means an area of medicine that explores how our thoughts affect the health of our bodies–it means literally: the mind/body connection. This is a simple definition for a highly complex science being pioneered by innovative people like Drs. Deepak Chopra, Christiane Northrup, Joan Borysenko, Andrew Weil, and others. Researchers of Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI for short) focus on hormonal messengers called neuropeptides, which are chemicals secreted by the brain, immune system and by nerve cells. The areas of the brain that affect our emotions are filled with receptors for these