The Tiny Invaders: Bacteria, Viruses, Parasites & Fungi Explained
Microbes are present everywhere, including in food, water, soil, and even inside the human body. In most cases, they live peacefully within the body and can even provide health benefits, such as certain bacterial strains in probiotics or yeasts found in fermented foods. However, in other instances, these microbes can become harmful by releasing toxins, […]
Why Oral Health Matters for Overall Well-Being
As a nutritionist, I’ve seen firsthand how proper chewing is the first step to good digestion, and it is well-known that good digestion is one of the foundations of good health. When food is broken down properly, the body absorbs nutrients more efficiently, fueling everything from energy levels to immune function. But what many people […]
Arcoxia: A Targeted Approach to Safer Pain Management
Pain management has long relied on non-selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Naprosyn), aspirin (Cartia / Micropirin), and diclofenac (Voltaren, Betaren), but these medications often come with significant gastrointestinal (GI) risks. Arcoxia (generic name: etoricoxib) offers an alternative by selectively inhibiting COX-2 enzymes, reducing pain and inflammation while sparing the stomach lining. […]
Sticking With GLP-1 Helps to Maintain Weight Loss
Anyone who has struggled to maintain weight loss knows the frustration of losing weight only for it to pile right back on once we slow down or stop whatever weight loss program or diet we were following. This yo-yo effect can discourage, demoralize, and even damage our health. Yet, many diet and exercise programs are […]
A Guide to Hormone Replacement Therapy
Having reached the age of perimenopause, I have newfound empathy for my mother. I remember how I used to giggle and poke fun at her when she would lie on the cold bathroom floor trying to cool herself from a hot flash. As a self-centered teenage girl, I honestly thought she was being overly dramatic. […]
The Role of COX Enzymes in Pain and Inflammation
Everyone deals with physical pain at some point in life. No matter what kind of pain it is, it’s usually caused by inflammation. Inflammation, or swelling, happens when the body reacts to an injury, illness, or something that irritates it. Inflammation is often seen as a bad thing, but it’s actually part of the immune system’s […]
The Importance of Poison Control Centers
Every 15 seconds, someone in the US contacts a poison control center for help with an accidental poisoning. Accidental poisoning is the top cause of preventable deaths in the United States, killing more people each year than car accidents or gun injuries. In 2023, more than two million people all across the country called in […]
Gallstones & Weight Loss FAQs
Like many others, my mother has had issues with her gut most of her life. Several years ago, she experienced an episode of excruciating pain in her chest. Fearing a heart attack, she called an ambulance, but by the time they arrived, the pain had subsided. After some investigation, it was discovered she had sludge in her […]
Can Drugs and Alcohol Change The Teenage Brain?
People naturally want to keep doing things that deliver a reward. For example, when a hungry person eats, the brain’s reward system reacts positively with a flood of dopamine, the pleasure hormone. In the same way, a game of Candy Crush on a smartphone helps people relax after a long day. However, the brain’s reward […]
The Realities of Juggling Work Family and Caregiving
For years, I watched my mother care for others. As a young woman, she nursed her mother, who had multiple sclerosis. After that, she nursed my father through cancer. And not long after he passed, she nursed her father through dementia, and most recently a sister through breast cancer. While she sees this as a […]
