Alter Life

Imagine four 747 jumbo jets crashing in one day killing all passengers aboard. And then another four the next day. And then the next, and the next, day after day, year after year... Something would certainly be done to ensure better safety of the airplanes, the pilots, and passengers on board. This is the death toll of heart disease in the United States alone, killing more than 800,000 annually. M...

The energy centers that have been defined in ancient medical texts actually align with major endocrine glands in the body. While we think of "energy" as it relates to the "energetic body" as being very subtle and therefore difficult to grasp. However, energy flow via the nervous system and circulatory system in these areas is in fact quite significant. Even the slightest impeda...

The thyroid gland is like the boss at the power plant. It really doesn't do much itself to produce energy for the body, but without it, things could get messy real quick. Workers failing to show up and do their jobs, all sorts of junk being left around, the wrong buttons and levers being pushed and pulled... these are the sort of things that could lead to rolling blackouts. Just as the case i...

Do you find yourself clearing your throat often or feeling constricted in your vocal expression? The throat is our center for self-expression. It has everything to do with open, honest, and compassionate communication. The energy that passes through the throat flows in line with the 5th chakra . Health issues like acute or chronic coughs, frequent URIs, hoarse voice or laryngitis, sore throat, swo...

Sore throat, cough, congestion, headache, fatigue, body aches, fever... There is no cure for the common cold. In fact, these common symptoms associated with an acute upper respiratory infection (URI) ARE the cure to the common cold! It is not a sign of ill-health to "come down with a cold" once or twice per year. In fact, allowing the immune system to adapt and evolve is very helpful and...

Allergies…how annoying! Have you ever found yourself cursing the pollen, the dander, the dust, etc.? It’s too convenient to blame one’s allergy symptoms on these external allergens, just as it's convenient to blame one’s emotional reactions in life on outer circumstances in the world. However, we can take responsibility for the underlying root cause of immune imbalance just as we can take res...

A stuffy nose (allergic rhinitis) is one of the most common symptoms of allergies, aka hay fever. Millions suffer seasonally, or just randomly, unable to fully appreciate blooming flowers, grassy meadows, furry four-legged pet friends, or other beauties in the environment. I, Dr. Ben, know this quite well first hand, as allergies and asthma kept me from feeling my best during soccer and baseball s...

While the common earache (acute otitis media) is  much more common in youngsters, infection can spread to the ear at any point in life under the right conditions. In Medicinal Money we discussed all the physical risk factors that can lead to acute and reoccurring ear infections, highlighting the power of removing dietary/lifestyle obstacles to support healthy immunty. In today’s Wisdom Wednesday,...

We're making our way through the body, Altering Your Health from Head to Toe. Circulatory system, lymph, bones, brain, eyes... next stop: ears! When we think about ears, of course we consider the miracle of hearing, funneling sound waves that are then interpreted by the brain. The vestibular complex of the inner ear is also associated with spatial orientation and balance, something that we ma...

Vision is more than just what we gain through the miracle of eyesight. Vision comes from a deeper and more intuitive place. Or at least we have access to the expanded and elevated perspective where we can see and know more deeply and with certainty. On Medicinal Monday this week ( #323 ), we discussed the physiology of eye health and how to eat and live to promote a healthy retina, clear lenses, a...

As with anything else in the body, the health of the eyes depends upon circulation and vascular health to deliver nutrients and remove waste/toxicity. When it comes to eye health there are many important considerations to maintain optimal vision and prevent or reverse eye conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataracts, etc. In this Medicinal Monday episode as we Alter Your Health fro...

The lymphatic system is the lesser known step-sister to the more sexy circulatory system. While the arteries deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and veins remove much of the waste, the lymphatic system is left to mop up the rest of the mess within the interstitial space at the capillary beds. We talked much more about the dynamics of lymphatic circulation in last Medicinal Monday, episode #321 ....

Some things in the body are quite mysterious - hidden, out of sight, and rarely talked about. The Lymphatic System is certainly one of these not-so-popular aspects of the body,  but that's not to say it doesn't have a vitally important role in maintaining our physiologic balance! In fact so many chronic issues have their roots in sluggish and sub-optimal lymphatic circulation,  The Lymph...

When we think of the roles of the the circulatory system, one of its main jobs is to delivery life-fueling nutrients and oxygen to our body’s various tissues. In a sense, a delivery system of gifts and good tidings! The vascular system literally circulates the good stuff all throughout the body. The energetic and spiritual connections with circulatory health are centered around our human ability t...

If all the blood vessels in your body were connected end to end, they would span 60,000 miles! If you laid them out around the world, they would circle the entire globe not once, but more than 2 full times! The circulatory system is designed to ensure the survival of all cells throughout the body. It does so by delivering oxygen and nutrients and removing carbon dioxide plus other waste products t...

Many associate Brain and Mind as one and the same. The brain is the organ that rests inside the skull. It's like a computer made up neurons that wire the entirety of the physical body to control autonomic and somatic functions. Mind is the universal wisdom, energy, and inspiration that animates all of life. It is the more spiritual essence alive in us all and thriving in every moment. Of cour...

Sometimes we never realize how important something is until it's gone... Brain health and cognitive function is certainly a quintessential example of this. While the acute symptom of brain fog can come and go day to day, it can be super aggravating and frustrating! Of course, conventional medicine has zero answers to address this symptom, though  natural medicine certainly does! We are excite...

The skeleton provides the structure and support for the body. Muscles and organs are anchored by our bones, held and supported in their functions. Weakened bones, decreased bone mineral density, and diagnoses like osteopenia or osteoporosis can have energetic/emotional causes in addition to physiologic factors. When we get curious to how we can shift both physiologic and energetic states, we tap m...

Maintaining strong bones with high density is an important part of healthy and resilient aging. It is very common to lose bone mineral density with age, slipping into osteopenia or osteoporosis. These conditions are associated with increased risk of fracture and poorer quality of life - definitely something we should consider preventing or reversing! Bone health is the topic of today’s Medicinal M...

What does state of mind have to do with state of skin? A stressful state of mind certainly has direct physiologic consequences on the health of skin. And there is also much more to discuss when it comes to the psycho-spiritual connections with the skin. On Medicinal Monday ( ep #313 ) we covered the most common causes of chronic skin conditions like  acne and eczema. Here we talk about the the &qu...

Beauty comes from within. Of course, beauty is more than just skin deep, but the radiance and glow of healthy skin also comes from within. Chronic or recurrent conditions like acne, eczema, rosacea, psoriasis, or just aging and dehydrated skin are exceedingly common. The good news is that radiant skin is much closer than you might realize! You may have been led to believe that you need some specia...

In this episode of the Insight from Head to Toe series we are exploring the connections between mind, body, and HAIR. We covered common hair complains in Medicinal Monday ( ep #311 ) such as hair thinning, falling, gray hair, and alopecia. We also covered the common causes of such conditions including nutritional deficiencies, topical toxicity, stress, and of course genetics. Issues with hair can...

No... this is not a commercial for some special new hair product! In fact, quite the contrary... In this opening episode of Alter Your Health from Head to Toe we are starting our journey on the top of the head to talk about hair. Of course, we have hair covering our entire body like any other mammal, but it is generally that which is atop our heads that gets most of the attention... especially whe...

We are excited about the Wisdom Wednesday counterpart to The Alter Your Health from Head to Toe podcast series starting next week! While we share essential nutritional and lifestyle considerations to support healing from head to toe on Medicinal Mondays, our Wisdom Wednesday episodes will delve deeper into the realm of consciousness to explore the energetics and spiritual lessons available through...

Time to spice up the podcast! We are starting a "series" called "Alter Your Health from Head to Toe" where each week we will be focusing on a new organ, system, or part of the body. We fill cover essential information around anatomy and physiology as well nutritional and lifestyle considerations to create vibrant health in each part of the body. Spoiler alert: The way to eat to...