Catch up on my latest articles and essays on faith, fitness, and fortitude.
It was a warm summer morning, July 30. Vanessa, our grandson Asher, and I were riding a single-track mountain bike course in Woodbury, MN. As always, I rode in the third position, ironically, in the event either of them ever had a bad fall. I came upon a skinny bridge … Keep reading…
Do you have a SMART goal for your teeth? You know…Specific, Measurable, Actionable / Attainable, Realistic, and Time-Based? That’s a ridiculous question, isn’t it? I’ll explain why SMART health and fitness goals are just as absurd. For most people, setting SMART goals as motivation to follow a fitness program sets … Keep reading…
For the past couple of weeks, I’ve diffused a blend of evergreen essential oils at bedtime each night. I already had a pretty effective sleep regimen prior to diffusing this blend, so I wasn’t expecting much of a change. Was I ever wrong! I’ve slept the same number of hours, … Keep reading…
If you were to ask the average person, or even the average healthcare practitioner, “What is the most important form of exercise?” the majority would respond with “Aerobic exercise,” like walking or running. That never made sense to me. Such antiquated advice doesn’t match up with scientific evidence, a basic … Keep reading…
Contrary to what the media would have you believe, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, wild game, and other animal-based protein-rich foods are good for you. Research has continually proven this to be true. And yet, activist organizations, mainstream media, and politicians would have you believe that a lower-protein, plant-based diet is … Keep reading…
It’s been a while since I first wrote about the health benefits of collagen. Since then, more and more research has shown us how valuable collagen protein powders can be as part of a healthy, high-protein diet. Both marine and bovine collagens offer numerous health benefits, but there are some … Keep reading…
Could essential oils help some people who’ve developed heart disease? If so, which ones? And how? A new systematic research review tried to answer those questions. According to the findings, certain essential oils could help people live better with cardiovascular disease, especially if they suffer from poor sleep or anxiety, … Keep reading…
To a certain extent, yes, exercise offsets age-related hormonal imbalance. Exercise’s impact on hormones is more significant than most people give it credit for. I wouldn’t expect the news to cover these because there’s little money to be made selling exercise compared to selling pharmaceuticals. So, please pass this along … Keep reading…
One in five adolescent and young adult men is clinically deficient in testosterone. One in five! How did this happen? What about the rest of the boys? How many of them are living with lower than optimal testosterone? What impact will this have on their mental and physical health? How … Keep reading…
As I was browsing new health and fitness research papers, I came across a review in Frontiers in Pharmacology, titled Inhalation Aromatherapy via Brain-Targeted Nasal Delivery: Natural Volatiles of Essential Oils on Mood Disorders. Though I enjoy reading full papers like this, I realize that many people don’t have the … Keep reading…
Natural health practitioners have been warning people about antibiotic use for decades now. Not surprisingly, most of their concerns have fallen on deaf ears. Today, antibiotic resistance as a public health threat is undeniable. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic has made that threat even worse, not because of COVID, nor because … Keep reading…
Over the years, I’ve worked with countless numbers of women who’d previously followed Weight Watchers or who’d been members at Curves. If you’ve been looking for a good weight loss program, you’ve no doubt come across one, or both of these. While there are much better approaches to weight loss … Keep reading…