Autumn and the season of sorrow: Heal grief naturally

Through the many different avenues of loss, everyone has experienced the effects of grief. The depression and sadness that accompany sorrow can weaken the immune system which creates an opportunity for illness. Chinese medicine considers autumn to be the season of grief and sorrow, making it especially important to nurture one's health and emotional wellness during this time of year.

Adequate vitamin C is essential. Camu Camu and Amla berries are the highest source of natural vitamin C. A good quality vitamin D supplement is very important for immune function as well. For adults, The Vitamin D Council advises at least 5,000 IU per day.

Buying clubs - A fresh approach to eating healthy on a budget

No doubt about it. Food prices are skyrocketing, especially organic, high-quality fare. With crop failure, bizarre weather patterns and the cost of living on the rise, it's no wonder eating healthy can be a challenge. But a relatively unheard of revolution is spreading across the U.S. and beyond: local buying clubs. Using the power of numbers, food costs are slashed by up to 50 percent. And the club offerings are of outstanding quality -- often organic, eco-friendly and healthful. It's a win-win situation for the consumer, farmer and environment.

Top healing foods that stop ovarian cancer in its tracks

Ovarian cancer is one of the most deadly diseases. It is the fifth leading cause of cancer death among US women -- an astounding 14,000 out of 23,000 diagnosed each year die. Ovarian cancer tends to be aggressive and generally has very few symptoms until it reaches an advanced stage.  Fortunately, several natural remedies have proven to be exceptionally useful in both preventing and curing this silent killer. Ginger, ginkgo biloba, green tea and flaxseed are all remarkably effective at destroying ovarian cancer cells and tumors -- hindering proliferation and increasing survival rates dramatically.

Food as medicine

Diet is extremely influential in preventing as well as healing ovarian cancer. Beyond consuming an abundant variety of fresh produce and limiting dairy, meat and sugar, certain foods specifically target ovarian cancer cells -- demonstrating extraordinary success in defeating this life-threatening disease.

Superfood Kitchen Giveaway Winner

Let me just say, I had a blast with this promotion. Not only was it fun revisiting one of my all time favorite cookbooks, but just the idea of another lucky reader enjoying it too was enough to make my week. I simply loved reading all the wonderful comments and connecting with new people. If my bank account could handle a giveaway every couple of weeks, I'd do it in a heartbeat. For now, though, I will need to stick with the occasional event here and there. But don't worry, more gift-bearing promotions are are the way. So stay tuned. As for the winner this time around . . .

Superfood Kitchen + Cacao nibs will be arriving shortly on Sharaya Nicole's doorstep.

A hearty thank you to everyone who participated. Until the next time. 

Forget Prozac - try probiotics to ease anxiety, curb depression and elevate mood

Could eating yogurt be a replacement for antidepressants? A group of scientists believe so. Groundbreaking research has shown that a common strain of probiotic can create GABA within the gut while also enhancing brain receptors for this neurotransmitter. Naturally produced GABA is a safe alternative to dangerous psychiatric drugs -- it calms the nervous system, promotes tranquil sleep, minimizes anxiety and alleviates depression. This is good news for over 50 million people around the world who use antidepressants.

Perils of a "Prozac Nation"

With a 400 percent increase of antidepressant use from 1994-2008, it looks as though the United States certainly is a Prozac Nation. An astounding 1 in 5 women between the ages of 40-59 use Prozac while nearly 4 percent of adolescents are on antidepressants. Second only to cholesterol drugs, prescriptions for antidepressants rose to an incredible 255 million in 2010 alone. World-wide, the sale of antidepressants totals over 20 billion dollars a year. This industry does not come without serious health risks.

Vitamin P deficiency: How lack of pleasure severely impacts health

As we race through our busy days and barely take time to eat, let alone enjoy a meal, more is at stake than simply depriving our taste buds - vitality is seriously compromised too. When we don't take pleasure in our food, regardless of how nutritionally superior it may be, our mental and physical well-being plummet. Scientific research agrees: If we consume tasteless fare, health suffers.

Pleasure as the ultimate health kick

Seeking a way to lower cholesterol, absorb more nutrients or slim down? Research has found the simple element of pleasure may be the key. According to Marc David, founder of the Institute for the Psychology of Eating, "When you're turned on by food, you turn on metabolism." He references three studies involving pleasure and health.

The first took place at the University of Texas where participants suffering from high cholesterol were given a general low-fat diet - with one exception: each was allowed to splurge every other day with a ham and cheese sandwich along with a milkshake. We would expect cholesterol levels to sky-rocket, but they didn't. In fact, there wasn't an elevation at all. David attributes this surprising finding to "… relaxed and celebrated moments in an otherwise bland and stressful diet. And that decrease in fight-or-flight chemistry could have been, by itself, enough to lower cholesterol…"