Oatmeal Oats, Avena sativa, are one of the more common grains eaten since the Bronze Age. It is particularly popular amongst people that are gluten sensitive, although gluten sensitivity is far more complex than most articles would suggest. Gluten is a mixture of hundreds of different proteins, with gliadins from wheat being some of the most immunoreactive. Technically, avenins in oats are a form of gluten as well, though they are not as reactive. (Biesiekierski) Many people who are sensitive to wheat are not sensitive to gluten. However, gluten sensitivity has the potential to also sensitize ..read more

Prednisone: For a friend in need but a foe indeed Prednisone, a synthetic corticosteroid drug, is perhaps the best example of a mixed blessing at best. It is an immunosuppressant commonly prescribed for many conditions, ranging from migraines to some cancers. It is also used after traumatic injuries, organ transplant surgery, to treat some ear problems and many gut problems. The most common uses for Prednisone are inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, both situations where the immune system is too active. One aspect of intestinal function that defines inflammation during inflammatory or auto ..read more

So, like many of you, I like to snack. Because I swim, bike, do Crossfit, (and even run sometimes!) I try to keep my protein intake high enough to help my body recover and improve from the exercise. If I don't, then I also don't improve as much, and I hurt more, which...bugs me. Like many of you, I'm gluten sensitive, so my bars have to be gluten-free. I've found that they also have to be made of something that doesn't melt and become inedible if it gets warm in the car or the gym bag, because that bugs me too! That usually narrows it down to Lara Bars. However, Lara bars only have 4g of prot ..read more

You've read my articles, and perhaps even my book, about the importance of gut bacteria. But what happens if your gut bacteria that should be in your colon start to overpopulate your small intestine? This condition is known as SIBO, or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. It can cause a variety of problems including some pretty severe immune system dysfunction. The condition is diagnosed with a breathing test, because the bacteria cause the patient to exhale different gases (really!). This study looked at 104 patients diagnosed with SIBO, and compared two readily-available herbal remedies w ..read more

So, I've been reading published research studies about herbs to develop a good herbal male and female blend. I keep coming across studies like this one, clearly stating that many studies of this one herb (Icariin, an ingredient in Epimedium, aka horny goat weed-really!) has great value for treating or preventing cancer. And yet, they don't even hide the fact that they're trying to make a drug out of it, instead of just recommending it. So, what if your libido-enhancing herb actually helped prevent cancer too? ps guys: it boosts estrogen...not necessarily the best for you. Ps gals: it boosts e ..read more

This month there was a great research study published in the journal European Cell and Materials, about how a spice extract can relieve neuropathic pain from disc compression, and even help the disc to heal and regenerate. Researchers studied the anti-inflammatory effects of Curcumin, and documented how Curcumin reduced neuroinflammation of compressed dorsal spinal nerve roots. They went down to the molecular level, showing that Curcumin could reduce the expression of TNF-Alpha, an inflammatory cytokine that is a key component of nerve and disc inflammation. They also found that curcumin redu ..read more

Oatmeal Oats, Avena sativa, are one of the more common grains eaten since the Bronze Age. It is particularly popular amongst people that are gluten sensitive, although gluten sensitivity is far more complex than most articles would suggest. Gluten is a mixture of hundreds of different proteins, with gliadins from wheat being some of the most immunoreactive. Technically, avenins in oats are a form of gluten as well, though they are not as reactive. (Biesiekierski) Many people who are sensitive to wheat are not sensitive to gluten. However, gluten sensitivity has the potential to also sensitize ..read more

Prednisone: For a friend in need but a foe indeed Prednisone, a synthetic corticosteroid drug, is perhaps the best example of a mixed blessing at best. It is an immunosuppressant commonly prescribed for many conditions, ranging from migraines to some cancers. It is also used after traumatic injuries, organ transplant surgery, to treat some ear problems and many gut problems. The most common uses for Prednisone are inflammatory and autoimmune conditions, both situations where the immune system is too active. One aspect of intestinal function that defines inflammation during inflammatory or auto ..read more

So, like many of you, I like to snack. Because I swim, bike, do Crossfit, (and even run sometimes!) I try to keep my protein intake high enough to help my body recover and improve from the exercise. If I don't, then I also don't improve as much, and I hurt more, which...bugs me. Like many of you, I'm gluten sensitive, so my bars have to be gluten-free. I've found that they also have to be made of something that doesn't melt and become inedible if it gets warm in the car or the gym bag, because that bugs me too! That usually narrows it down to Lara Bars. However, Lara bars only have 4g of prot ..read more

You've read my articles, and perhaps even my book, about the importance of gut bacteria. But what happens if your gut bacteria that should be in your colon start to overpopulate your small intestine? This condition is known as SIBO, or Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. It can cause a variety of problems including some pretty severe immune system dysfunction. The condition is diagnosed with a breathing test, because the bacteria cause the patient to exhale different gases (really!). This study looked at 104 patients diagnosed with SIBO, and compared two readily-available herbal remedies w ..read more