Vim & Vitality Blog

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...

So, what difference does all of this make to The Paleo Diet?The Paleo Diet is based on the evolutionary concepts that man was not created but has existed for millions of years, living as hunter-gatherers, consuming meats, vegetables, and fruits. According to this philosophy, grains (and dairy) were not consumed by humans until recent history around 10,000-12,000 years ago, when man began to settle down in one place, cultivate the fields and domesticate animals. Ironically, “young earth” creationists believe that the earth was formed around 10,000 years ago or less-- this view can be validated ...

Paleo Minuses ContinuedThe Paleo Diet is based on evolutionary principles which deny a biblical creation and the consumption of certain food groups by mankind prior to 10,000 years ago. Interestingly, the biblical creation coincides with the archaeological evidence refrenced by The Paleo Diet for when these supposedly excluded food groups began to be consumed by humans. While The Paleo Diet has its merits, which I cover in the first installment of The Paleo Problem, I have several contentions with this philosophy. My first TWO disputes are:Ancient varieties of grains were consumed by the first...

Part 3:  Paleo Minuses ContinuedIn Part 2 of this blog series, I talked about the distinctions between a biblical diet vs. The Paleo Diet related to grains, and I concluded that grains were indeed included in the diet of early people, although to a much lesser extent and were sprouted or fermented before consumption.  Today we will be examining another category of food that is not included in The Paleo Diet on the premise that it was not consumed by pre-historic people either. The Paleo Diet excludes dairy because our Stone Age hunter-gatherer ancestors could not milk wild, undomesti...

Part 2:  Paleo MinusesAll of the positive points about The Paleo Diet I mentioned in Part 1 of this blog series agree with biblical truth, but there are some distinctions that I would like to make and hope will provide a few tools with which to evaluate not only The Paleo Diet, but any other “diet” out there that comes your way:Low carbohydrate & high fiber from a paleo perspective does NOT include grains or legumes of any kind. While it is true that wheat and gluten are problematic for many people, and more widespread than we realize aside from obvious allergy or intolerance, grains ...

Part 1I am a creationist… but I enjoy engaging in friendly, respectful discussion with others who hold opposing views, including evolution. In fact, I have found that I agree with evolutionists on many points, one of which is that the modern American diet is far inferior to the diets of our ancestors! I agree that our health has degenerated since the introduction of genetically modified and processed foods, as is evidenced by the negative changes in the dental health of even modern traditional people groups who introduce processed foods into their diets. I affirm that modern forms of dairy and...

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 to...

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 ...

 Are You More Like…. A Cruise Ship vs. a Speedboat -OR- A Crockpot vs. a Microwave?  In Rev Your “Engine" & Make It Purr we discussed the factors that contribute to a healthy metabolism which translates into TOTAL HEALTH.  Remember that FIT + TRIM + BALANCE = TOTAL HEALTH.  A person who is only fit or trim is not necessarily healthy.  We covered several variables within each of these factors for TOTAL HEALTH:      Quality of Calories      Macronutrients         Portion Control      ...

It is so easy to become myopically focused on one aspect of TOTAL HEALTH. As Americans, especially as women, we are easily tempted to focus on simply being FIT or TRIM, which doesn’t always translate to being HEALTHY. A thin, wispy woman who subsists on cigarettes and Diet Coke is not FIT, nor HEALTHY. What about that hard body of a woman who eats a great diet that includes a variety of fruits, vegetables and quality proteins yet over-taxes her body through excessive exercise and lack of sleep? She may look FIT & TRIM, but TOTAL HEALTH is evading her too. While neither woman is overweight,...

Every now and then, you stumble upon a life-changer. It may be the discovery of a product like the Magic Eraser that will remove marks from walls without removing the paint. Or maybe it is a Bluetooth device that allows you to drive and talk hands free. What about discovering that remaining calm in the heat of a conflict, then initiating resolution at a later time is much more effective than trying to resolve the issue on-the-spot when emotions are flared? Well, today I have another life-changer to share with you: FAT-SOLUBLE CHLOROPHYLL.You have probably heard of chlorophyll before, and you h...

Allergy season is here in full force with pollens and dust blowing every which way, which can make life simply miserable for many people in Colorado, and this spring seems to be quite intense for many people! But if you do suffer from seasonal allergies, or even food allergies, you will benefit from what I am about to share with you.Have you ever heard of Yakriton? It is a Japanese word since this compound was discovered in Japan nearly 100 years ago during the 1920s. What is Yakriton? Well, in simple terms, it is an extract derived from cow liver fat. Sounds gross, huh? But you must remember ...

 7 Uses for Raw Apple Cider VinegarFor less than $20, you can purchase one gallon of a true “cure-all” for your own pantry. Organic, Raw Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a health tonic that cannot be ignored. You are probably already familiar with using this delicious condiment as a hair rinse to combat dandruff and leave hair squeaky clean. Or you may be familiar with using it in recipes for salad dressings or homemade cleaning products. I’m excited to share with you 7 uses for this powerful food product that you may not have heard of before:1) DIGESTIVE AID: Raw Apple Cider Vinegar benefits...

Why You Need SodiumSalt has a bad rap in modern thought. I’m sure you have heard it said that “Salt causes high blood pressure, stroke, heart disease, water retention, etc.” (1) But what are the facts, and what is this compound called “Salt” today? Salt consists of two molecules of minerals joined together to form a new compound: Sodium (Na) + Chloride (Cl)= Sodium Chloride (NaCl). Sodium and Chloride both occur naturally in foods and are essential elements to health.  Dr. Bernard Jensen even classified people according to the mineral dominance in their bodies: High Sodium people include ...

Part 1E: Human Studies (continued)Well, we are nearing the end of the discussion about Scientific Studies. For a prelude to today’s blog, refer to my blogs beginning with The Devil's Advocate: Which Way is Right?. Last time, we discussed the subtypes of Observational Human Studies: Case-Control and Cohort.  Today we will discuss the second main type which is where things get really interesting! 2)  Clinical Trials-- also called Experimental or Treatment Studies in which participants may be grouped by chance (random) or deliberately (controlled) while an intervention is introduced and...

 Part 1D: Human StudiesThis blog series began as a discussion about the potentially harmful effects of high doses of antioxidants, synthetic antioxidants in particular, and because most scientific studies and supplement ads promote the benefits of antioxidants to human health, I thought it would be beneficial to investigate the various types of scientific studies and explore how to discern the veracity of claims made by these studies. This has been a rather long discussion, one that is not as interesting as some other topics that we could be cover, but it is in fact very pertinent! Becaus...

 Part 1C: In vivo & Ex vivo Laboratory TrialsIn order to evaluate the studies about pharmaceuticals and nutritional supplements, including antioxidants, it is useful to understand “scientific” studies and the games that can be played with statistics, variables and factors involved. In Part 1B of “The Devil’s Advocate on Antioxidants,” I laid out a simplified version of the progression of scientific studies, along with the pros and cons of each stage:1) Research-- thousands of lead compounds are narrowed down to hundreds for a targeted issue2) Pre-Clinical Trials-- laboratory and anima...

 Part 1B: In vitro Laboratory TrialsIn the first two volumes of “The Devil’s Advocate on Antioxidants,” I presented the free radical and antioxidant theory as well as an opposing theory that touts reactive oxygen species (ROS) as being a natural, biologic process, not at all harmful to the human body. The rub between these two theories comes when scientific studies are examined and contradictory evidence is revealed that not only debunks the benefits of antioxidants but actually demonstrates the harm that these compounds can do to the human body when taken in isolated, high potency dosage...