Vim & Vitality Blog

During World War II, three women with PhDs trained in chemical biochemistry and dietetics were commissioned by the United States National Academy of Sciences to investigate the effects of nutrition on “the national defense.” Most of the testing they did was in a laboratory with animals (not humans) to determine the minimalistic amounts of vitamins and minerals necessary for survival. In 1941, this committee was renamed the Food & Nutrition Board, and a standard daily allowance was established for “energy and eight nutrients.” Referred to as Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs), these guidel...

Most of the time, I have a burning topic or issue in my heart that I am just itching to blog about, but life has been, well… a little crazy here at my house these last few weeks. If you are a parent, I’m sure you can relate to the end-of-the-school-year insanity! And if you have teenagers, you know that things can get even more hectic, running them here and there! We currently have THREE teenagers in the house, soon to be FOUR….and none of them are driving on their own yet, so that means that I have a side job as the “mom taxi,” which can be incredibly demanding and difficult to manage at time...

Ladies, if you have trouble reaching climax, you are not alone. While the drive may be there, the ability to finish may be sorely lacking, which can be SO frustrating! While sex can still be pleasurable, some women have never once experienced an orgasm! And perhaps equally tragic are women who once possessed the ability to climax but have lost it due to hormonal changes after childbirth and throughout the course of aging. I covered the multi-faceted complexity of the female libido in a previous blog entitled Sex Drive for Women vs. Men, including specific herbs and supplements that can enhance...

While few things are more precious than a newborn baby, almost nothing is more heartbreaking than a baby born with a defect, especially one that could have been prevented.  Of course, we love this baby as much as one who is without physical defect, but our heart aches for the struggles this child will face in life. Perhaps it is the inability to speak or move properly due to cerebral palsy. Or maybe it is a facial defect such as a cleft lip or palate, which also interferes with speech and even the ability to nurse properly.  What about Down’s Syndrome? These lovely children are ...

Imagine eating an apple and feeling satisfied and energetic for hours afterward. Imagine not remembering the last time one of your friends and family was sick or died from anything besides old age. While death and disease are a natural consequence of the Fall, we can certainly minimize their impact. It used to be that  people would die of old age, and now people die after prolonged convalescence or as a result of disease. The maximum lifespan for mankind is estimated to be 120-140 years (which hasn’t changed since the Creator’s injunction prior to the Great Flood), yet the average life ex...

TRUE: "You are what you eat." MORE TRUE: "You are what you absorb." MOST TRUE: "It's not just WHAT you eat that kills you, it's what you DON’T eat. The key to health is giving your body all the 90 essential nutrients.” ~Dr. Joel Wallach   Food is important! After all, we were created to eat food, and one of the first commands given by G-d was to do just that: “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.” ~Breishit (Genesis) 2:16-17 Just ...

 “You are what you eat” is a familiar phrase to all of us, and while this statement is certainly true, “You are what you absorb” is even more accurate! Think about it, not only do we absorb sunlight through our skin which promotes the conversion of 7-dehydrocholesterol to Vitamin D, but we soak up toxins that are applied to our skin in the form of cosmetics, lotions, soaps, perfumes, and even cleaning supplies that can poison our bodies. On the positive side, our small intestines are naturally equipped to absorb important nutrients from the foods we eat. But absorption and assimilation of...

I am a skeptic! I read about weight loss products that burn fat, and I immediately have all of these contentions: I bet it’s only psychosomatic!It’s probably expensive!I’m sure it’s only temporary or water weight!It can’t be healthy!Are those real people in unaltered photos?   I have written about the concept of HEALTH GAIN vs. WEIGHT LOSS before with the focus being on:  Quality of Calories â€œThe Calorie Game” vs. Macronutrient Balance, including frequent variation (keep the body guessing!) Portion Control Carb Management & Metabolic Typing Inter...

Once upon a time, people raised and slaughtered their own meats, or they hunted and killed wild animals. And these same people utilized EVERY part of the animal they killed, including bones and organs. Native Americans knew that the adrenal glands of the animals they killed contained the highest Vitamin C content of any food known to man, so they would share a small portion with every person in the tribe. Today we buy our meats from the store, neatly wrapped in cellophane. Boneless, skinless chicken breasts and ground beef are much more common than a whole chicken or a side of beef, and the or...

  I love to read, and it is not uncommon for me to have four or five books going at one time. At the moment, I am reading an excellent book that unveils the vast mysteries of the Hebrew alefbet and how it reveals the character of G-d. I am also reading a book about female hormones, another about the twenty-one greatest people in their industry, one  about the created purpose and essence of woman, and lastly Nutrition & Physical Degeneration by Weston A. Price.  While I love to read for my own enrichment and for the benefit of my clients, ever increasing my knowledge and expe...

If you are anything like me, I love the feeling of clean, slick teeth after visiting my awesome holistic dental hygienist, Shelby Kahl…. But I must admit that having my lower incisors cleaned is nerve wracking and makes me cringe! I have always had super sensitive teeth, and it is sometimes painful to simply touch a metal instrument to them-- yikes!! As my hormones have fluctuated throughout childbearing, the sensitivity of my teeth and gums as well as the amount of tartar on my teeth have both varied. As women, we are fearfully and wonderfully made, with hormones changing over our lifetimes, ...

Cold hands and feet are not the only sign that your thyroid or metabolism may be functioning below optimum levels. Can you relate to any of the following? Unwanted weightThyroid disordersThinning hair, dry hairDry skinThinning eyebrows (missing outer 1/3 or eyebrows)Slow growing or fragile fingernails that split, crack or peelChronic fatigue, lack of energy, sluggishness, weaknessInadequate or disordered sleep or insomniaHigh cholesterolFrequent dieting  (low-fat, low-carb, low-calorie)Overexercise, especially excessive cardio trainingOverhydrationConstipationFrequent illness or infection...

"While an average of 10 diseases are linked to any single mineral deficiency, 'there are over 275 diseases caused by calcium deficiency.' " -- Dr. Peter Glidden Most often we think of calcium as being the essential mineral for healthy bones and teeth, and while that is true, did you know that a calcium deficiency can lead any number of other serious health issues. Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body. Three factors related to calcium are necessary for optimal health: 1. Location-- blood or tissues Ninety-nine percent of calcium is found in the bones, and the rest is in the blo...

“Which part of a watch keeps time?” Dr. Royal Lee used this question to emphasize the nutritional concept that the sum of the parts can never be equal to the whole. He explained that just as individual components that make up a watch cannot perform the function of the whole, neither can an extract from a food in the form of a vitamin or mineral isolate perform the same function as the entire complex. Furthermore, remove one part from the watch, and it will not function. It would be like expecting a few pieces of brass to tell time simply because they are slapped on to the wrist. Nutrients are ...

We have an aversion to aging in America. Most people, especially women, resist aging and do whatever they can to slow down, avoid, or reverse the process. If you disagree, consider these facts: “…in the past few decades, the market for anti-aging products and services has grown into a global industry valued at an estimated $261.9 billion in 2013, up from $162 billion just five years ago, according to BCC Research, a publisher of technology market research reports based in Wellesley, Mass.”(1) AND “This is expected to increase to nearly $345.8 billion in 2018, a compound annual growth rate (CAG...

Endometriosis can be a debilitating condition leading to painful intercourse and excessive menstruation in 2-10% of American women (1), affecting over one million women in the US at any given time (2) during their childbearing years. Endometrial cells (uterine lining cells) develop outside of the uterus throughout the body, and in particular in the pelvic cavity, causing adhesions to organs which may result in stabbing pains, organ dysfunctions, and bleeding into the surrounding tissues because these cells still function like uterine cells and respond to female sex hormones by thickening with ...

It almost seems unpatriotic or sacreligious to say that I don't support “Pinktober,” but I think we all are pretty much AWARE of breast cancer; however, we are still clueless about how to PREVENT and CURE this devastating disease. I’m 44 years old, and well within the recommended age for a mammogram according to these recommendations by the National Cancer Society. My grandmother died of metastatic breast cancer 16 years ago. Several close relatives have had malignant growths removed from their breasts, and like me they are estrogen dominant. None of these women nor have I been tested for the ...

Acne seems to go hand-in-hand with being a teenager, although some are afflicted more than others. Traditional treatments focus on using topical creams and drying agents such as Isotretinoin (Accutane) and corticosteroids or powerful antibiotics such as tetracycline. These pharmaceuticals may clear the skin, but at what cost? Accutane is not safe for use while pregnant and is linked to birth defects, depression, suicidal tendancies and IBS. (1) The majority of side effects are related to gut health. And while antibiotics may destroy harmful bacteria, they also destroy beneficial bacteria which...

Let out your belt a notch to prepare for National Junk Food Day! Yes-- you read it correctly: NATIONAL JUNK FOOD DAY!  What is the world coming to? As if every day is not enough for Americans, we need an entire day dedicated specifically to junk food?   So, on July 21st, go on out and throw caution to the wind! Begin the day by enjoying a Snickers bar for breakfast; after all, a Snickers bar contains as many carbs as a bagel, and if carbs are all that count, then why not opt for a candy bar over a bagel? Next, you will need something to drink with that Snickers bar, so head on over t...

In my last two blogs we covered several strategies to address the factors that contribute to TOTAL HEALTH, which can be summed up as FIT + TRIM + BALANCE, with special emphasis on sex hormone balance in women. Today, we are going to cover another aspect of balance: STABLE BLOOD SUGAR. This very important element of balance will enable you to GAIN HEALTH, first and foremost, and to LOSE WEIGHT secondarily-- weight loss is the fringe benefit of TOTAL HEALTH. Stable blood sugar is in fact so important that TOTAL HEALTH cannot be achieved without it! Without balanced blood sugar, sex hormones may ...