Being healthy and losing weight are often associated with negative attitudes toward food. If you want to avoid being overweight, it is only natural to think of food as the enemy. But it does not have to be this way. In fact, one could argue that overeating results from an insufficient appreciation for what is great about healthy, nourishing foods. And when one develops a stronger appreciation for foods that are (more…)
Whether you have been diagnosed with high blood pressure or are merely interested in lowering your health risks associated with high blood pressure, it is not always necessary to take medication. There are many natural, everyday things you can do to keep the blood pressure down while benefiting your health in other ways—because, after all, blood pressure is a major indicator of overall health. Of course, it is always a good idea to talk with your doctor about your blood pressure and what you should do to keep it down. But if you have no serious medical conditions and know that your (more…)
There are many obvious benefits to living a natural lifestyle. It is better for the world, it makes you a better global citizen, it enriches your experience, and it allows you to live in a manner that is in line with your values. But when it comes to health, many of the benefits of living naturally are often overlooked. Sure, we all know that eating well in a natural way is great for your health, but the benefits do not end there. Here are some of the main ways in which living naturally can (more…)
People who care about natural health are typically vigilant with what they put into their bodies, but rarely do they pay much attention to what they apply to the outside of their bodies. Over the course of a normal morning, the average woman uses up to a dozen different personal care products, many of which are loaded with synthetic ingredients that can contain mysterious (more…)
By now, you are probably well aware of the benefits of shopping at a farmers market. Not only is it better for the environment and a great way to reduce your carbon footprint, but it also gives you a chance to support local small farmers while experiencing the full range of fruits and vegetables native to your area. Plus, it is a great reason to get out on the weekend, and if you have kids, it can be an educational experience for them.
Not everyone is familiar with the ins and outs of shopping at the farmers market, however. Many of us are far more comfortable with the supermarket and may be a little daunted by the idea of shopping in an open-air market and buying direct from people who produce the food. But there is not much to it. Just (more…)
Most people who try to consume only high-quality food products are familiar with the hazards of the frozen aisle. Many frozen foods are highly processed, offer little nutritional value, and contain numerous ingredients that are detrimental to your health or else simply unnecessary. For these reasons, frozen foods are by and large far from the types of fresh, organic, healthy foods, that natural-health enthusiasts favor, and any reasonably healthy person avoids them as much as possible.
But frozen foods are not all bad. Simply making a food product cold (more…)
If you are a follower of natural health and food issues, than you have probably heard of “Slow Food,” a movement that began in the 1980s and has steadily gained momentum in subsequent decades. Now, as the obesity epidemic has continued to worsen and the grip that big agribusiness has over food has continued to tighten, many (more…)
Despite all the myths and prejudices about vegetarians and the vegetarian diet, science has shown time and time again that a meat-free diet can be perfectly healthy. In fact, a well-planned vegetarian diet can be even healthier than one centered on meat, as all those calories formerly devoted to meat—many types of which can be quite unhealthy—are now devoted to things like vegetables and whole grains. All in all, making the switch to vegetarianism can be (more…)
We all know that exercise, along with a good diet, is one of the most important components of a healthy lifestyle, yet so many of us have trouble getting and staying in the habit of exercising every day. This is understandable; many forms of exercise are not exactly fun, and some are downright painful. Plus, exercise takes the place of other activities, and many people feel that they just cannot fit a daily 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity into their schedule. If you feel this way, you are not alone.
But just because you have historically had trouble getting motivated to exercise does not mean you have to stay that away. You can make the change today. Just keep these (more…)
For most people, getting a cold or two every year, plus various fevers, flus, and bugs, is simply to be expected. Minor illnesses are irritating for a couple of days or weeks, but they do not surprise us, and we always expect our bodies to fight them off. But what if this were not the case? What if it were possible to dramatically reduce (more…)