In my last entry, I wrote about biology not rewarding our good intentions — it only responds to the actual inputs of a healthy lifestyle (diet, exercise, sleep, stress management).  A particularly interesting phenomenon in this category is what psychologists call “permissiveness.”

You might not have heard this term, but you’re probably familiar with the scenario:  “I just did a 30-minute workout at the gym,

One of the fundamental principles of naturopathic medicine is to rely on the healing power of nature, and use the gentlest form of treatment possible.  The starting point for this is always lifestyle:  a healthy diet, exercise, adequate restful sleep, and purposeful stress management.  We can debate endlessly about the best format for each of these,

Welcome back to standard time, folks… did you remember to set your clocks back this weekend?
One more question:  did you notice it was much easier to adjust to the time change this weekend than to the switch to daylight savings time in the spring?  It seems logical, since we “gained” an hour of sleep on Saturday night.

“It’s all about eating less, exercising more.”

Obesity and overweight affect two-thirds of American adults.  You’ve probably heard this oversimplification of a plan to lose excess pounds, and from a basic science point of view, that’s what it boils down to.  Unfortunately, the real life situation is more complicated.

I’ve talked to my patients for years about something called the set-point theory:  

… no, really.  It’s called hydrotherapy, one of the oldest pillars of naturopathic medicine.  Hydrotherapy is simply any therapeutic use of water, and a simple practice you can adopt on a daily basis is called a contrast shower.  At the end of a normal warm shower, turn the water down to cool for about 30 seconds before turning it off.

The Urbana Sweet Corn Festival is under way!  Come on out today (Saturday the 27th), and be sure to stop by the booth for Green Yoga Spa.  Pick up a brochure for Central Illinois Natural Health Clinic to find more information on how we can help you.