Sleep is when our body regenerates and rebalances. And without it, or without good, refreshing, restorative sleep, all sorts of problems, both short and long term, can crop up.

It affects our mood, our ability to think, our energy levels, our hormones, our ability to heal, burn fat, and much more.

So let’s go over how lack of good sleep affects us, what may be causing this, and what we can do about it!

Obesity rates have quadrupled in America since these changes in our food sources took place, along with Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease, Energy Levels, Eating & Mood Disorders, and a host of other issues.

Our diets have changed drastically in the last fifty years, from the types of foods we eat, but much more from the amount of processing these foods now undergo, changing them on a molecular level into something our bodies barely recognize.

And they can be fixed. Continue reading to learn how...

If you don’t wake up feeling bright in the morning, suffer from the usual “afternoon crash,” or generally feel sleepy, you’re not alone. According to a recent survey, only 16% of Americans feel bright and awake every day. Over 50% of those surveyed reported feeling tired between three and seven days each week – with women accounting for a majority of those who suffer.

Today we’re going to talk about six common and easy-to-remedy habits that might be draining your energy.

With today’s busy lifestyle, it can be challenging to have enough energy to make it through the day, let alone spend time in the gym or go for a run. It’s no surprise that 90% of Americans drink some form of caffeine each day and that the market for energy drinks has exploded in the past decade.

In looking at the ideal solution for a true, natural energy boost to get you through the day and workout while supporting overall health, I distilled it all down to two requirements...

We’re seeing fat loss with muscle gain, faster muscle gain while continuing to lose fat, lower resting heart rate and blood pressure increased energy, lowered inflammation, bettered mood, significantly decreased cravings, and much more.

Some people say calorie counting is the only thing that works to gain muscle and lose fat. And then some just say calories have nothing to do with it at all. But what is it? Does calorie counting work or not?

Weight-loss diets are a big industry – especially when you consider that two out of three Americans are either overweight or clinically obese.

No, seriously, two out of every three Americans.

But with hundreds of popular diets, special diet foods, and health companies out there, why does the obesity problem continue to worsen?

Today we are going to provide you with some simple basics that can help you (and anyone) discover your optimal diet and help you on the road to improved wellness.

One of the more popular recent voices on the subject promotes a plant-based diet in a big way: The Game Changers. This Netflix special proposes eliminating meat from your diet and replacing it with plant-based sources of protein and nutrition.

Having spent years as a vegan and understanding the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, I couldn’t help but agree with many of the points brought to light in the film.

As a medical doctor, I saw a fundamental flaw in his information: plant-based proteins do not contain enough of each essential amino acid for most of to provide their bodies the wherewithall to optimize body protein synthesis. This is a fact observed through my own experience, through the experience of my patients, and backed by scientific research.

What if achieving your next level of high performance didn’t have anything to do with building more muscle?

According to research, your highest level of optimal health and athletic performance may be more about using the resources you already have to their highest capacity…

And it all comes down to a new way of managing your hydration. 

But... Can hydration be the key..? 

Everyone knows that too much sugar is bad for you. You heard it from your parents, and if you have children, you avoid allowing them to have too many sweet drinks and candy, right?

Well, we have some bad news for you. The for-profit food industry has developed ways of sneaking sugar into your diet without making it obvious. In other words, you and your family are likely consuming much more sugar than you thought – and paying the price.

To understand this, we have to take a step back and walk through exactly what sugar is, what it does to your body, and how you get it. Let’s begin.

In today’s highly competitive economy, the new normal is for food manufacturers to use marketing ploys to make their products appear healthy – even when they aren’t.

Maltodextrin is one of the most common, hidden-in-plain-sight cons on the market today. It is glorified, processed sugar that masquerades as “carbs.”

It might sound unbelievable, but read the following quote from BellChem – a top US producer of maltodextrin:

“Maltodextrin is a complex carbohydrate that can be hundreds of sugar molecules in length, which is much larger than the simple carbohydrate arrangement of glucose. Many soft drinks and other flavored beverages contain maltodextrin in their formulas so that they can have a lower amount of sugar on their nutrition facts labels. On the nutrition label, maltodextrin is included under the “Total Carbohydrate” heading, instead of the “sugars” label.”

Elderberry is a medicinal plant, used by many cultures through the centuries for its astounding health benefits. The ancient Egyptians used the berries to heal burns and aid the complexion, while the Native Americans used it to treat infections.

Elderberry has also been used for centuries as a folk medicinal cure to relieve headaches, nerve pain, and dental pain. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, called elderberry “nature’s medicine chest,” with berries, bark, and leaves, each having powerful medicinal properties.