by Gordon Raza, BSc, Canada

Men are notorious for not taking care of their health as well as women. Here’s an interesting fact: married men live longer than their unmarried counterparts. There are several theories for this disparity, mine being that our significant others urge us to take better care of ourselves and seek guidance of a health-care professional when necessary.

By Dr. Sarah Penney, ND, MSc

The most common condition of the bones, by far, is osteoporosis. As you likely know, osteoporosis is characterized by a decreased bone mass and deterioration of the bone tissues. You can think of your bones like a bridge over a body of water: They are both supported by a fine crosshatched matrix that keeps them strong. If there is any compromise to this structure of the bridge, it is likely to break due to stress. Thus, osteoporosis or loss of bone density is a problem because it can lead to an increased risk of fracture. The most common areas of fracture are the spine, the wrist, and—most dangerously— the hip. Osteoporosis does not happen overnight; it has actually been termed the “silent thief” because we can lose bone mass for years with no symptoms.

by Theresa Nicassio, PhD, Psychologist

Ah! yes, New Year’s resolutions….

How is it that this well- intentioned cultural tradition has become so trivialized that it now primarily functions as a marketing tool and source of an annual round of chuckles and embarrassment?

Even worse: What I’ve discovered in my work as a psychologist is how much unnecessary suffering these “goals” can cause, resulting in self-deprecation and feelings of failure and despair after an exhilarating yet short-lived burst of hope and possibility thinking that the new year can bring.

The good news is that the problem is simply that most of us have not yet learned how to turn our hopes and dreams into reality.

by Wendy Presant, RHNC, CFMP

I’m settled at my laptop, green tea in hand, and I am thinking about popcorn. I am especially thinking about popcorn with butter and salt. You know how the flavour in buttered salted popcorn is elevated beyond what any of the three single ingredients has to offer? It’s an effect called synergism! The Cambridge Dictionary defines synergism as “the combined power of a group of things when they are working together that is greater than the total power achieved by each working separately.”^[1]

by Dr. Philip Rouchotas, MSc, ND, and Dr. Heidi Fritz, MA, ND

ᴅ‑Ribose is a naturally occurring pentose molecule—a 5-carbon sugar—that is involved as an intermediary in the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) within the mitochondria of the cell.^[1] ATP is the basic energy unit of the cell. For this reason, ᴅ‑ribose has been evaluated in a number of conditions associated with muscle function, including performance enhancement in athletes, chronic fatigue, and fibromyalgia, as well as cardiac function. This article will review the evidence pertaining to d-ribose in these conditions.

by with Jamie Bussin and Dr. Philip Rouchotas, MSc, ND

On the September 12 (2020) episode of The Tonic talk show, Jamie Bussin interviewed Dr. Philip Rouchotas, MSc, ND, discussing the health benefits and science behind probiotics. The following is an excerpt from their dialogue.

What should you be looking for when selecting probiotics?

When you look for a probiotic, there are a lot of products to pick from. Below is a quick summary of things we recommend you to consider when selecting one.

by Dr. Philip Rouchotas, MSc, ND, and Dr. Heidi Fritz MA, ND

Theanine is an amino acid analogue of L-glutamate and L‑glutamine and is found naturally occurring in green tea. Its chemical name is L‑gamma-glutamylethylamide, or N5‑ethyl-L‑glutamine. Theanine is absorbed in the small intestine, and can be hydrolyzed to glutamate and ethylamine, or it can remain intact as theanine. Another fate of theanine is to be metabolized by glutamate decarboxylase to yield gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). Theanine can also cross the blood-brain barrier and have direct neurological effects. Theanine has long been regarded as the constituent of green tea responsible for calming effects, counteracting the stimulatory effects of caffeine.

by Dr. Chelsea Azarcon, BSc, ND

Hitting the hay, sawing logs, catching ZZZs—these are terms we use to describe sleep, but what is happening is more like a well-timed orchestra’s performance. Areas of the brain work in concert; some turn on and some turn off, directed by cues from light and chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. However, recent research suggests that sleep is not a process confined to the brain but that can receive input from the entire body, most prominently through the immune system.

by Dr. Elena Zarifis, BSc (Hons), ND

The human body is estimated to be colonized by around 38 trillion bacteria, with the colon housing the densest and most metabolically active populations of bacteria. Having a diverse colony of bacteria has been shown to be paramount for optimal health overall, not just intestinal health.

Of particular interest for this article is that studies have linked having a reduced microbial diversity to having a predisposition to allergic airway diseases.