Six Habits of Highly Grateful People

(Greater Good) Are you bad at gratitude, just like Jeremy Adam Smith? He has some lessons for you from people who know how to say "Thanks!"

I’m terrible at gratitude.

How bad am I? I’m so bad at gratitude that most days, I don’t notice the sunlight on the leaves of the Berkeley oaks as I ride my bike down the street. I forget to be thankful for the guy who hand-brews that delicious cup of coffee I drink mid-way through every weekday morning. I don’t even know the dude’s name!

Buyer Beware: Sport and Fitness Supplements Can be Dangerous

When 22-year-old Michael Lee Sparling died from cardiac arrest, a dark secret of commercial sport and fitness supplements emerged. Often used to increase performance and stamina, these pills and powders can have tragic consequences. To compound the problem, the bottom line usually reigns supreme and corporate leaders choose profit over supplement safety. As healthy young athletes suddenly die from heart failure, a misunderstood and lightly regulated industry is called into question.

Oil Pulling: A Cheap, Easy and Effective Solution to Health Woes? Modern Research Says "YES"

Dating back thousands of years in Ayurvedic medicine, oil pulling may seem like an unlikely curative miracle due to its simplicity. Yet practitioners of the therapy laud its effectiveness in healing everything from AIDS to diabetes, heart disease to leukemia. Testimonials aside, scientific research has shown oil pulling can vastly improve the condition of the gums and teeth by reducing dental bacteria, viruses and fungi - which in turn fosters overall health.

Oil pulling basics

Oil pulling is a technique where a tablespoon of oil (sesame, coconut, olive or sunflower) is moved around the mouth and through the teeth with a swishing motion for 20 minutes, one to three times per day. The premise behind the therapy is that oil attracts various pathogens in the mouth which are then suspended within the liquid and subsequently spat out. The oil also seeps into hard to reach pockets below the gum line where damaging bacteria tend to thrive.

Heal Autism, Depression and Autoimmune Disorders with a GAPS Diet

The Gut and Psychology Syndrome diet (GAPS) is not for the faint of heart. It requires patience and dedication, not to mention time -- up to three years. But for those suffering from asthma, food intolerance and allergy, developmental delays, depression or a spectrum of digestive disorders, it can be a miracle. Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, creator of the diet, believes that all disease begins with a compromised gut and if the digestive tract is healed, so is health.

A damaged gut equals compromised health

Through poor food choices, environmental toxins or genetic disposition, the gut can develop lesions that leak toxins into the bloodstream. This opens the door to a host of dysfunctional autoimmune conditions, systemic candida infections and neurological disorders. Dr. Campbell-McBride, who specializes in neurology and human nutrition, recognizes the crucial role a well functioning digestive system plays in physical and mental health. Using the GAPS protocol, she has witnessed full recoveries from autism to irritable bowel syndrome to food allergies.

Late Summer Green Bean Salad with Feta, Cranberries, and Walnuts

As we enter the last hurrah of summer around here, a bumper crop of lovely green beans are making their showy appearance at our local farmers market. Sure there are the standard beans, glorious in their plump greenness, but there are also the more unusual varieties arriving onto the scene. The deep purple, almost midnight black numbers. Broad beans that are flecked with a red that mysteriously disappears once cooked. The fashionably thin French selections. All delightful and unique in their own way.

Mix any combination of these beauties with brain boosting walnuts along with the tang of feta and the sweetness of dried cranberries and you have the beginning of an enchanting late summer side salad. For our vegan friends, skip the feta. An inspired raw version can be created by shredding the uncooked beans, switching out lemon juice for the balsamic and Dijon, omitting the cheese and leaving the walnuts in all their raw glory. 

11 Reasons Why Flu Shots Are More Dangerous Than the Flu Itself

(Real Farmacy) The verdict is out on flu shots. Many medical experts now agree it is more important to protect yourself and your family from the flu vaccine than the flu itself.

Every year the pharmaceutical industry, medical experts and the mainstream media work hard to convince us to get vaccinated against the flu. But we’re not being told the whole story. What we don’t hear, are cases about the adverse reactions or about the toxic chemicals being injected into us.

1. The flu shot actually makes you sick to begin with

Have you ever noticed how vaccinated children get sick almost immediately following a vaccination? This is because the flu virus is introduced into their bodies. So rather than immunize, the flu shot actually only sensitizes the body against the virus. And the fact that it causes individuals to get ill following a shot indicates immuno-suppression (i.e. lowering of the immunity).

Top 10 Ways to Boost Energy Throughout the Day (Without Resorting to Caffeine or Sugar)

We seem to be suffering from an extreme energy crisis in the West, namely, day-to-day chronic fatigue. With fast-paced lifestyles, sometimes it appears that coffee and sugar are an absolute necessity just to get though the day. But there's hope. We can ditch the artificial stimulants and instead cultivate true vitality with a few easy (and free) methods.

Simple tips for more zest

Do you ever dream of having plenty of energy? The reality for most is that we drag ourselves around, collapsing into bed at the end of the day for a fitful night of poor sleep. If this scenario sounds familiar, have a look at the following recommendations. Adopting one or more might just help break the fatigue cycle once and for all.