Know Your Nutrients: Potassium
Potassium is an electrolyte, and is one of the body’s seven essential microminerals.1,2 While the body only needs trace amounts of it, a proper potassium balance is crucial to maintaining good health. RECOMMENDED INTAKE The amount of potassium you need each day depends on your age and sex.3 The recently updated guidelines issued by the […]
Matcha Madness—Does this special green tea measure up to all its health hype?
Known for being high in antioxidants, green tea has long been considered part of a healthy diet. Recently, however, a form of green tea—matcha—has surged in popularity among tea drinkers and healthy lifestyle enthusiasts, though it has been around for hundreds of years.1 Matcha is a versatile powdered form of green tea that can be […]
Superfood Spotlight: Spinach
Originating in central and southwestern Asia, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a leafy green flowering plant that grows annually and is of the Amaranthaceae family, just like beetroot and chard.1–3 Similar to its relatives, spinach has a mild, bitter, and somewhat salty taste. There are three types of spinach: savoy, semi-savoy, and smooth leaf. A spinach […]
Nutrition as a Metabolic Treatment for Anxiety
In a “Perspectives” article by Norwitz and Naidoo, published this past February (2021) in the peer-reviewed journal, Frontiers in Psychiatry,1 researchers explored published research supporting nutrition as a means to address underlying metabolic pathologies associated with mental illness—in particular, anxiety. We have summarized the article for our readers and present here what we feel are […]
Panic Attacks: What Are They? How Are They Managed?
How Are They Managed? A panic attack is a sudden feeling of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions, such as rapid heart rate and shortness of breath, when there is no real danger or apparent cause.1,2 Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder in which a person experiences recurrent and often unexpected panic attacks that […]
Fitness for the Mind—Using Exercise to Improve Mood and Calm Anxiety
Integrating physical activity regularly (150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity per week)1 into a daily routine can enhance your mood and calm anxiety.2–4 Indeed, research indicates that consistent physical activity can improve symptoms of depression and anxiety, as well as enhance overall mood, drive, and self-image and improve […]
10 Tips for Better Eye Health
Eye health starts with what is on our plates. Aim to integrate more fruits and vegetables into your diet, especially leafy greens (e.g., spinach, kale, and collard greens).1,2 Indeed, leafy greens contain carotenoids lutein, beta-carotene, and zeaxanthin, which are plant-based forms of vitamin A. An increased intake of vitamin A has been shown to decrease […]
Yoga for Seniors
If you are an older individual, perhaps you are hesitant to try yoga due to certain physical limitations, such as balance issues, chronic pain, joint or back problems, or prolonged physical inactivity. However, the beauty of yoga is that many poses can be easily modified to accommodate physical limitations and varying levels of fitness. Here, […]
Strategies to Help You Achieve Your New Year Resolutions
Establish Your Resolutions and List the Pros and Cons of Old Habits First, decide what you would like to accomplish as you welcome the new year. Evaluate your current position and figure what lifestyle factors might need change in order to accomplish your goals and dreams. Think of both the short- and long-term effects of […]
COVID-19 and Heart Health
Even after recovery, there have been reports of patients who had COVID-19 experiencing types of heart damage and complications, notwithstanding severity of COVID-19 symptoms, lack of hospitalization, and no history or occurrence of preexisting heart conditions.1 Healthcare professionals have observed and continue to observe that hospitalized patients were exhibiting signs of heart injury, such as myocarditis. […]
Know Your Nutrients: Copper
Copper is an essential mineral found in all tissues of the human body.1,2 Copper’s effect on the body was discovered as 400 BC by Hippocrates, but there is still ambiguity surrounding its exact mechanisms of action.3,4 Copper deficiency (too little copper)and copper toxicity (too much copper) are both rare in the United States.1 While the […]
The Un-BEE-lievable and Versatile Benefits of Honey
With its sweet taste, golden color, and versatility, honey has been an emblem of human health and well-being throughout history.1 It has been harvested for thousands of years and is still praised for its nutritional, cosmetic, therapeutic, and industrial value.2 Honey proponents have touted honey’s medicinal properties, including its use as an antifungal and antibacterial […]
