Wikipedia defines Lyme disease as…..”the most common tick-borne disease in the Northern Hemisphere.  Borrelia (a species of bacteria) is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected ticks…….Early symptoms may include fever, headache, depression, fatigue, and a characteristic circular skin rash…..Left untreated, later symptoms may involve the joints, heart, and central nervous system.  In most cases, the infection and its symptoms are eliminated by antibiotics, especially if the illness is treated early.  Late, delayed, or inadequate treatment can lead to the more serious symptoms, which can be disabling and difficult to treat.” I met someone recently who was ill for quite [...]

Someone asked me the other day, “Why do so many people have lower back pain?”  The answer really is very simple….We weren’t meant to walk upright!  And so many of us don’t walk upright.  We sit and stand with slouched shoulders and we have core muscles that are too weak to hold us upright.  With this scenario, our lower back muscles are constantly overworking, doing all the work it takes to hold our upper body erect.  Sore back muscles can start at any age.  If we assume the position of protecting the heart by slouching our shoulders, the chance for lower [...]

I don’t remember the morning program I was watching the other day that stated Colorado and Vermont are two of the thinnest states in the United States and that obesity is on the rise throughout the country.  Fast food restaurants are popping up on every street corner in America.  Why Colorado and Vermont?  They say because they are four season states.  The ability to get out there and exercise throughout all four seasons is more readily available in these states.  I believe, since I’ve lived in Vermont for over 20 years that it is also because there are less fast food [...]

Here are some warning signs of a heart attack from the American Heart Association: Chest discomfort, discomfort in other areas of the upper body, shortness of breath, and cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.  Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the chest that can last more than a few minutes to a few weeks.  It could present as pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.  You could also have pain in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach.  It is critical not to dismiss any of these symptoms and to seek medical attention as soon as possible to rule out a heart attack.  [...]

When I see empty cans of popular energy drinks in the businesses I clean, I don’t usually see just one can.  There are always MANY stacked up next to someone’s desk.  This has always concerned me.  Certainly I had no evidence regarding these drinks or the effects of drinking them, but anything so addicting can never be good for you, right?  Well, word is starting to get out, energy drinks are causing side effects such as, irritability, concentration difficulties, gastrointestinal symptoms, heart palpitations, loss of hair, kidney problems, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and even in two cases I just read about, [...]

I bet there’s more in your kitchen than you think that you can stick in the dehydrator.  What can you do with that dehydrator that’s sitting on your counter or in the cabinet and not getting used?  How about pizza dough (read below!)?  A healthy alternative to the corner pizza place and you can add all the fresh veggies you have in the fridge.  It doesn’t have to be completely raw either.  Have potatoes, but no oil for frying?  Did you know you could dehydrate slices of potatoes and make your own healthier variety of potato chips?  Not only potatoes, but [...]

A food allergy is an immune system response and a food intolerance is a digestive system response.  Does a certain food give you a rash, nausea, airway restriction, itchy skin, diarrhea or shortness of breath?  That would mean you have a food allergy.  Food intolerance symptoms are stomach pain, nausea, cramping or bloating, heartburn, headache or vomiting.  According to Webmd,  ”A food allergy is an immune system response. It occurs when the body mistakes an ingredient in food — usually a protein — as harmful and creates a defense system (antibodies) to fight it. Food allergy symptoms develop when the [...]

Last time I talked about fasting.  A great way to allow the body to rest.  Our bodies use so much energy digesting food, that a one day fast a few times a month, can certainly help with healing, not to mention you could learn a lot about yourself.  What’s the difference between a fast and a cleanse?  Here’s what Wikipedia says about a cleanse…”Body cleansing or detoxification is a treatment in alternative medicine which proponents claim rid the body of accumulated harmful substances that exert a negative effect on individual health.  Critics argue that such cleansings are often unnecessary, and are based [...]

You know me by now.  I get so many of my “ah ha” moments from what happens to me and who comes into my life.  It’s all about the lessons we learn every day.  Not just on the day we want or the time we want.  Being open to what presents itself to you on a daily basis is truly living in the present moment.   Last week I heard a story about a woman who had gained some weight, but only in her stomach.  She thought it was age and started a diet, but when her stomach didn’t shrink at all, [...]

My friend’s son has had warts on his hands for as long as he can remember.  He’s had them frozen, burned and chemically removed.  He’s taken drugs to fight them from the inside too.  Because of their severity, he usually removes more than one wart at a time, which is very painful.  But alas, they always come back.  Common warts can be found on the hands, feet, forearms and face and their size ranges from a pinhead to a pea.  Some are found on the voice box or larynx and be the cause for some hoarseness.   My friend’s son was [...]