The autonomic nervous system is the portion of the nervous system that regulates your “vegetative function”—the actions of your organs which occur without conscious thought or effort. Involuntary body processes controlled by this system include: blood flow, heart beat, breathing rate, body temperature, hormone production, metabolism, digestion, bowel and bladder function, sexual response, and more.…
Heart disease has many contributing factors, including poor dietary habits, elevated stress, intestinal bacteria—and magnesium deficiency. It’s important to note that, despite popular belief, cholesterol alone is not to blame for causing clogged arteries and other forms of cardiovascular disease. In fact, it’s becoming increasingly apparent that cholesterol-lowering statin drugs are not the solution to…
You probably already know that your cognitive and emotional states affect your physical health and the way your body functions (e.g., psychosocial stress can have a negative impact on heart health). But did you know that the converse is also true? Chemicals taken in from your environment as well as produced within your cells affect…
Low-carb dieting may be an attractive option if you want to lose weight quickly. However, it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Before you commit to this type of diet, make sure you are aware of the potential consequences. My last post on The Low-Carb Diet Dilemma noted that one of the many risks…
The low-carb diet is a concept that has been widely used in the weight loss industry for a long time now. It is quite successful in producing weight loss in individuals who have difficulty doing so. It also typically allows for increased caloric intake and greater satiety in the process. This makes it a very…
Beauty perception in our society is unfortunately very narrow. Our standards for health and beauty tend to be very high, specific, and unrealistic. We idealize body sizes and shapes characterized as “thin,” “lean,” and “athletic,” while looking down on (and discriminating against) people who are viewed as “fat” and “out of shape.” This outlook is…
What causes heart disease and “clogged arteries” (i.e. atherosclerosis)? Well, there are many contributing factors to look at when exploring the causes of heart disease. The first step is to understand the nature of the disease itself, which is explained in my previous post: The Truth About Clogged Arteries. Next, you’ll want to take a…
What is heart disease? Well, there are many conditions associated with the cardiovascular system as well as the heart specifically. The term heart disease is commonly used to refer to atherosclerosis, which is a disease of the blood vessels (not actually the heart). Atherosclerosis is also known as “clogged arteries,” an advanced-stage feature of a…
A healthy balance of intestinal bacteria (a.k.a. gut bacteria or gut flora) is extremely important when it comes to your health. If you read my previous posts on intestinal bacteria and how they affect your health, you know that it’s not so simple as feeding or increasing the so-called “good” bacteria in your gut. Remember:…
The safest, most effective method for treating obesity is not weight loss or gastric bypass surgery. It’s lifestyle intervention. If you read my last blog post, you know that it’s a mistake to treat body weight as an isolated disease, and that you can’t “cure” obesity with weight loss alone. Obesity is a really complex…