All posts from Colleen M. Story
Icy Hands? Try These 10 Natural Ways to Warm Them Up
Things like warming foods and drinking enough water can help you enjoy toasty hands no matter the temperature. In early February 2014, the Chicagoist ... more »
Do You Need an Electric Toothbrush? If So, Which Kind is Best?
A lot of people are buying electric toothbrushes because they believe they clean better. Is that true? In America, we tend to think that if it’s ... more »
Instead of Wheat, Try These 7 Gluten-Free Grains
Quinoa is a healthy and nutritious grain alternative for those looking to avoid gluten. Are you on a gluten-free diet? If so, you may be missing ... more »
The Dangers of Antacid Drugs—and 7 Alternative Solutions to Heartburn
Studies show that regular use of antacids can cause a number of health problems. If you’re suffering a little heartburn and you’re on the go, do ... more »
Don’t Get Sick This Winter—7 Fun Tips You May Not Have Tried
Listening to your favorite upbeat music 50 minutes a day may help you avoid the cold and flu this winter! You already know about washing your hands, ... more »
Winter Allergies—Triggers and 5 Natural Solutions
Winter allergies can be worse than spring ones, causing symptoms that feel like a cold. When most of us think of allergies, we think of grasses, ... more »
Outdoor Winter Exercise—13 Tips to Make it More Comfortable and Safe
Think you can’t exercise outdoors in the winter? Think again—it could help you feel a lot happier! Winter weather may get you thinking the only ... more »
9 Healthy Hot Drinks to Warm You Up!
A number of hot beverages—including plain hot water—can provide health benefits in cold weather. When the weather gets cold outside, we naturally ... more »
Improve Your Life Today with 8 Ancient Healing Techniques
Reiki and other ancient healing techniques have a number of health benefits to offer us today in our modern world. Over the last few decades we’ve ... more »
9 Reasons You May Want to Indulge in a Little Dark Chocolate Today
Studies show that a little dark chocolate each day can provide a number of important health benefits. Have you been avoiding chocolate lately because ... more »
Low Levels of This Mineral Increase Your Risk of Diabetes
Studies show that having a healthy intake of zinc (from foods like these oysters) can help protect you from diabetes, and may help control blood sugar ... more »
Use This Technique to Keep Your Blood Pressure in Line
Studies indicate that meditation may help keep blood pressure levels in the normal range. Typical lifestyle modifications for high blood pressure ... more »
Hate Post Workout Soreness? Try Watermelon Juice!
A recent study suggests that drinking watermelon juice before working out can help reduce muscle soreness. If you’re into regular exercise ... more »
Too Acidic? Too Alkaline? How to Tell, and Some Tips to Restore Balance
Kale is a nutrient-rich vegetable that’s a great option for those who may be too acidic. Last week, we talked about pH balance in the body, and how ... more »
What is pH Balance, and How Does Diet Throw it Off?
A diet high in acidic foods can put a strain on kidneys, increasing risk of kidney stones and potentially, osteoporosis. Spinach is one of the most ... more »
3 Healthy Seeds—Comparing and Contrasting Chia, Flax, and Hemp
Chia, flax, and hemp seeds are all great sources of protein and antioxidants, and make an easy healthy addition to your diet. About a decade ago, ... more »
7 Things Successful People Do First Thing in the Morning
The things you do first thing in the morning can set the stage for the rest of the day. If we want to get better at something, the best way is often ... more »
Got Superbugs? Try Essential Oils—They Work Better Than Standard Antiseptics
In a recent study, natural essential oils—including tea tree oil (from the tree shown here)—were more effective at killing super bugs than ... more »
Who You Eat With Influences What You Eat—7 Tips to Stay Strong
If you want to eat healthier when dining out, go with friends who make healthy choices, researchers say. If you’re trying to lose weight, you may ... more »
5 Ways to Increase White Blood Cell Count—Naturally
If you’re suffering from a low white blood cell count, increasing your intake of garlic may help. A number of health conditions can cause the white ... more »
Knee Arthritis Pain? Try This Food—Study Shows It Works!
Rather than resort to medications, try this natural remedy for knee arthritis pain. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that ... more »
How Your Couch Could Be Making You Sick
While you’re snoozing, you could be exposed to flame retardants, which have been linked to hormone disruption. It looks so innocent sitting there in ... more »
Electromagnetic Fields—Can You Protect Yourself with EMF Clothing?
Some studies show that living near high-voltage power lines may be harmful to human health. Can you increase your risk of cancer through exposure to ... more »
9 Tips for Avoiding Botulism When Making Fermented Foods at Home
If improperly prepared, homemade sauerkraut may contain botulism-causing bacteria. On September 11, 2010, the headline of the day in Canada read, ... more »
Natural Treatment Options for Psoriasis
If you have psoriasis, you may want to take chondroiton supplements. The National Psoriasis Foundation states that psoriasis is the most prevalent ... more »
Cooking Oils: How They’re Extracted and Refined, and the Health Consequences
Refining processes can strip oils of their natural nutrients. Today, we’re talking about cooking oils, and how we actually get the oil from the ... more »
10 Snacks That Actually Help You Lose Weight
Hot chocolate contains compounds that actually reduce levels of stress, helping the body release fat. One of the most challenging things about trying ... more »
Your Anxiety Could Be Coming from Your Gut—Might Probiotics Calm You Down?
Anxious? Depressed? You may need probiotics. That our mental state affects our digestive health is a concept most of us are familiar with. What’s ... more »
Boy Dies of Deadly Parasite Found in Tap Water—How Clean is Yours?
The CDC recently found a deadly amoeba in the water supply of a Louisiana town. The “Naegleria fowleri amoeba” is a parasite—a particularly ... more »
Natural Solutions for Painful Sciatica
Sciatica often goes away on its own, but meanwhile it causes painful and debilitating symptoms. Most of us know someone who has suffered from ... more »
How About a Little Bone and Nerves with Your Chicken Nuggets?
A recent study found chicken nuggets are less than 50 percent chicken. If you want a glimpse of what fast food is really like, just let it cool down. ... more »
7 Foods that Fight Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is linked with diseases like Alzheimer’s and heart disease, but can be tamed with certain anti-inflammatory foods. Inflammation ... more »
5 Foods That Help Soothe a Crohn’s Flare-Up
Bananas have a special fiber that can help block the transmission of bugs that aggravate Crohn’s disease. The idea that diet can affect flare-ups of ... more »
Commercial Baby Foods May Not Be A Good Idea During Weaning—Homemade Alternatives
A lot of ready-made commercial baby foods have added sugar. If one food we buy off the shelves is expected to be nutritious, it’s baby food. Many ... more »
The Best Way to Wash Fruits and Vegetables—8 Tips
Do you need to use soap to wash produce? What’s the best way to get rid of pesticide residue? Fruits and vegetables are good for you—but the ... more »
CDC Confirms Widespread Use of Antibiotics Leads to Human Death
“We didn’t ask for this!” Antibiotics used in feedlots are contributing to superbugs that are killing Americans. A recent study found ... more »
10 Top Blood Tests to Take for Your Best Health
What should you look for when getting your blood tested? A blood test can tell you a lot about your health. In fact, nearly two-thirds of the data for ... more »
Fish Fraud: Is the Fish You’re Eating the Fish You Think it Is?
A recent study found that about a third of the fish we eat isn’t what we think it is. A February 2013 study by Oceana, the largest international ... more »
To Eat or Not to Eat Breakfast? Study Casts Doubt on Breakfast-Obesity Link
After years of being told to eat breakfast to lose weight, a new study says…maybe not. Trying to lose weight? Eat breakfast. It’s the advice ... more »
Blood Pressure Meds May Increase Risk of Cancer—12 Natural Ways to Drop Levels
Medications can keep your blood pressure levels under control, but they can also increase your risk for some types of cancer. If you’re taking blood ... more »
#3 Sushi Health Risk—Toxins, with 10 Tips to Protect Yourself
In addition to parasites and bacteria, sushi may also be contaminated with toxins. After talking about parasites and bacteria in former posts, now ... more »
Mercury Retrograde—Myth or Truth?
Astrologists believe that when mercury appears to be moving backwards, areas of communication and travel are compromised. Are we affected by the ... more »
#2 Sushi Health Risk—Bacteria, with 10 Tips to Protect Yourself
Sushi can be contaminated with bacteria and viruses, which can cause digestive issues. After talking about parasites in a former post, now it’s time ... more »
#1 Sushi Health Risk—Parasites, with 7 Tips to Protect Yourself
Might that plate of sushi be contaminated with parasites? An informal poll by Gastroenterology & Endoscopy News showed that most doctors who ... more »
How Cinnamon Could Help Treat and Prevent Type II Diabetes—Real Evidence
Concerned about diabetes? It may help to consume more cinnamon on a daily basis. The American Diabetes Association states that 25.8 million children ... more »
12 Natural Ways to Wake Yourself Up—Without the Caffeine
Concerned about diabetes? It may help to consume more cinnamon on a daily basis.Last June 2013, Dr. Williams posted about the protective effects of ... more »
Your Garden Tomatoes and Flowers Could Be Killing Honeybees
Your garden plants may be contaminated with a pesticide known to be toxic to honeybees. For the last several years now, we’ve been hearing about the ... more »
How Much Water Do You Really Need for Good Health?
Do you need to drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day? It depends on a number of factors. The standard advice for years has been that you should ... more »
Eat More and Lose Weight—It’s Proven to Work! 7 Tips
Which foods you choose may make more difference to your waistline than how much you eat. “Eating smart, not eating less, may be the key to losing ... more »
10 Habits of Healthy, Happy Men—and What Women Can Learn
Men named relaxing time with family as one of the things that keep them happy and healthy. What really makes men happy—and healthy? There are plenty ... more »
What’s Healthiest? Soy Sauce, Tamari, or Bragg’s? What About Coconut Aminos?
If you’re making stir-fry tonight, which condiment is healthiest to use? If you’re getting ready to cook some stir-fry, rice, an Asian salad, ... more »
Trouble Sleeping? It May Be the Full Moon…Really
If you think the full moon makes you restless at night—you could be right. We’ve all been hearing how important it is to get a good night’s ... more »
What’s the Best Oil to Cook With?
What oil is the safest and healthiest to cook with? Grapeseed, olive, sunflower, canola, coconut—there are so many options. Which is the best for ... more »
Ditch the Chemicals—10 Benefits of Cast Iron Cooking
Think cast iron is sticky and hard to clean? Think again—properly seasoned, cast iron is naturally “non-stick.” In 2003, the Environmental ... more »
Fish: 5 Choices Healthy for You and the Environment
We love our tuna, but we’re eating too many of them. It’s time to try other options. According to a 2009 study by U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) ... more »
15 Natural Tips to Protect from Radiation When Flying
High altitudes expose you to more radiation. Is there any way to reduce the health risks? The government has introduced new advanced imaging scanners ... more »
Where Germs Lurk on Airplanes—and 10 Ways to Keep from Getting Sick
Do you need to go this far to protect yourself from illness while flying? In June 2013, American Airlines announced plans to add even more seats to ... more »
Farmers Sue Monsanto After GMO Seeds Pollute Other Crops
After contaminated wheat was discovered in Oregon, farmers sued Monsanto for genetic pollution. On June 12, 2013, Huffington Post ran an article ... more »
Can Probiotics Help Your Brain, Too?
New research discovered that probiotics, like those found in yogurt, may help relieve stress and anxiety. A recent study has provided more evidence to ... more »
7 Natural Ways to Reduce Hot Flashes
Hormones are risky—here are some other ways to help reduce the frequency of hot flashes. Personal summers. Power surges. Hot flashes. Whatever you ... more »
5 Natural Ways to Prevent Tick Bites
Ticks carry a number of diseases, including Lyme disease, so be sure to protect yourself this summer. Are you protected from ticks this summer? If you ... more »
5 Food Sources for 5 Key Vitamins & Minerals
Rather than pop a pill, how about bumping up your consumption of certain foods when you need nutrients? Did your doctor recently tell you that ... more »
10 Tips for Preserving Vitamins and Shelf Life in Produce
Americans throw away thousands of dollars every year in spoiled produce. Try these tips for making your goodies last longer. We’re all trying to eat ... more »
5 Good Things About Getting Older
Despite what the media would have us believe, there are a lot of good things about getting older. In today’s world, we’re faced with continual ... more »
Sidestep the Temptations—12 Tricks to Help You Eat Less and Lose Weight
Sometimes we all need a little help cutting back on calories—try these tips! Eating too much. Gaining too much weight. Worrying about diabetes and ... more »
Study: Relationship Worries Could Make You Sick—7 Tips to Help You Relax
A new study suggests that feeling anxious about your relationship can lower your resistance to disease. We all know that stress is bad for us, but a ... more »
Could the Herbs You’re Taking Cause Life-Threatening Bleeding?
Some herbs like gingko biloba (pictured here) can thin the blood, increasing the risk of excessive bleeding. According to research performed at the ... more »
7 Best Homemade Cleaning Solutions to Have On Hand
Many cleaning projects around the home can be completed with natural products that don’t present health risks. In 2010, a study published in ... more »
Carrageenan—Is This Additive Safe?
Have you checked the ingredient list on your soymilk, pudding, toothpaste, or chocolate? You may find “carrageenan,” a food additive recently tied ... more »
Are You Short on Vitamin B12? 5 Tips to Increase Absorption
A vitamin B12 deficiency is more common in the elderly, and can lead to dizziness and an uneven gait. Our friend Dr. Williams recently wrote about ... more »
Are You Aging Worse Than Your Parents Did? 5 Tips for Aging Well
Current estimates show you’re likely to live longer than your parents, but those extra years may be unhealthy. Each generation is supposed to be ... more »
3 New Exotic Foods You May Not Have Heard Of—And Their Health Benefits
The horned melon has a unique taste, and is low in calories. Are you a foodie? Do you enjoy trying new food items—particularly if they have unique ... more »
Your Frying Pan Could Increase Your Risk of Osteoarthritis—and Other Health Problems
Do you save time cleaning by using non-stick cookware? Best to check it again to make sure it’s not creating risks to your health. Do you cook ... more »
Trying to Have a Baby? Get Up Off the Couch—7 Supplements to Enhance Male Fertility
Men who watch TV for three hours or more a day could suffer from reduced fertility. According to the Mayo Clinic, about 15 percent of couples are ... more »
10 Wild Plants (or Weeds!) That Are Safe to Eat
If you see elderflower in your back yard, you could use the flower heads in pancake batter to make fritters, or infuse them for tea. When you’re on ... more »
10 “Healthy” Foods That Aren’t So Healthy
Trail mix is healthy, right? Well, sometimes yes, but you have to be choosy. The food industry is smart, and knows that most people are looking for ... more »
Your Reusable Shopping Bag Could Be Making Your Family Sick
It’s eco-friendly, but is it making your family sick? That reusable shopping bag you’re taking to the grocery store could be eco-friendly, but it ... more »
What to Eat to Smell Sweet—8 Foods that Make You Smell Great
What you eat can affect how you smell—but fortunately, some foods act like sweet perfumes. Garlic is a super healthy food, with studies indicating ... more »
A Shocking 1 In 3 Deficient In Vitamin D & At Risk for Cancer—Are You One of Them?
If you’re not getting enough sun exposure, you could be deficient in vitamin D, which can increase your risk of cancer and heart disease. We’ve ... more »
Nearly Half of Americans Are Now Nearsighted—It’s Time to Get Our Kids Back Outside
Over the past four decades, the rates of nearsightedness have nearly doubled. Do you find that you are having trouble seeing clearly from a distance? ... more »
Dementia is on the Rise—Protect Your Brain Power with 7 Foods and 7 Mind Games
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are on the rise—here’s how to protect your brain power. According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s ... more »
Pain Relievers May Be Damaging Your Hearing—7 Natural Alternatives
Pain relievers may help you get a good night’s sleep, but they could also lead to hearing loss. Most people don’t like to rely on over-the-counter ... more »
Get Rid of Mold—Without Increasing Your Risk of Breast Cancer
Mold is definitely unattractive, but it can also be dangerous for your health. Mold is bad news. Study after study points to the health damage it can ... more »
Feeling Anxious? It Could Be Your Plastic
If you or your kids are feeling anxious, the chemicals in your plastics may have something to do with it. Plato is quoted as having said, “Nothing ... more »
14 Plants that Clean Your Indoor Air of Toxic Chemicals
The simple Chrysanthemum can help you breathe cleaner indoor air. In a 1987 study, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked indoor air ... more »
7 Secrets for Super-Human Oral Health
Brushing and flossing help, but with these tricks, you can do even more to improve your smile. You know you’re supposed to regularly brush, floss, ... more »
Too Many Trips to McDonald’s May Cause Asthma in Kids
A new study indicates that children who eat fast frequent fast food meals may be more at risk for asthmatic symptoms. On February 6, 2013, we ... more »
Could Your Cholesterol Be Too Low? Risks Include Cancer and Depression
Most people are trying to keep their cholesterol numbers down, but when is low too low? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states ... more »
Help Your Cat Live Longer—Some Well Known and Unusual Tips
“Dogs come when they’re called. Cats take a message and get back to you.” —Mark Bly The ASPCA states that the average lifespan of the indoor ... more »
What’s the Best Diet for My Dog? Should I Try a Raw Food Diet?
A raw food diet may be great for your four-legged friend—but there are some risks. No grains, no by-products, no preservatives. No people food, ... more »
