There are essentially two kinds of sugars in the foods we eat: naturally occurring sugar (for example, fructose in fruit and lactose in milk) and added sugars. The American Heart Association defines added sugar as “any sugars or caloric sweeteners that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation.” Processed foods, sugar-sweetened drinks (soda, juice, …
For years, we’ve heard about the damaging effects of sunlight: skin damage, wrinkles, and skin cancer—all of which should be carefully considered. However, in our best efforts to avoid the negative consequences of sun exposure, most of us no longer balance getting the right amount of sunlight. Altered exposure to the sun—whether intentional or due …
Continue reading “11 Tips for Vitamin D, Sunlight, & Sunscreen”
Written by Robyn Brush, LAc—Licensed Acupuncturist at Wiseman Family Practice Acupuncture is a treatment that involves insertion of very fine needles into specific points on the body. Acupuncture is used to treat a variety of medical conditions and restore overall balance to the body to promote health and longevity. Acupuncture has been practiced in China …
There is an old saying about gratitude: If you never learn the language of gratitude, you’ll never be on speaking terms with happiness. These may be words of wisdom, but science actually validates this very notion. Recent research supports the neuroscience of gratitude, which quite simply means the power of positive thinking and feeling grateful …
On average, our lungs breathe in and out around 20,000 times a day, something we do without putting much thought into it. As simple as this may seem, breathing is a process that requires our nose, mouth, throat, trachea, lungs, diaphragm, and other surrounding muscles to work together in tandem to get oxygen to our …
Written by Robyn Brush, LAc—Licensed Acupuncturist at Wiseman Family Practice Our hormones are the chemical messengers responsible for regulating nearly every function our bodies perform. It is because of our hormones that we are able to break down and utilize the food we eat, regulate body temperature and blood pressure, fall asleep at night, and …
Continue reading “Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine for Hormone Balance”
For many of us, we avoid sweating. When we do sweat, we usually make a great effort to conceal it. Yet sweating is vital to our health, just as it was for our ancestral humans. The ability to perspire while hunting in a hot environment enabled humans to adapt, survive, and become proficient hunter-gatherers. Ritual …
Sleep is essential to our health and yet so many of us miss out on a full night’s rest. Most adults need 7–9 hours of quality sleep a night. Getting six hours or less, on a regular basis, is not ideal and puts you at risk for serious health conditions. A few nights with …
For the majority of our evolutionary history, we’ve lived in some kind of “feast or famine” state. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors had to search for available food sources and as a result, experienced periods of not eating. As we’ve evolved, our food sources have become more widely available but also more processed. Though there are …