Life Blog
Cutting-edge information and tips for creating health in all areas of life – wellness, nutrition, fitness, attitude, and relationships
May 14, 2026
Are Raw Foods Safer and Healthier?
You’ve probably heard about the raw food diet, which involves eating mostly raw and unprocessed foods. Refined and pasteurized foods are completely out of the question, so the diet is made up of mostly fruits, vegetables, seeds and nuts. Those who support this diet claim that the process of cooking food destroys enzymes and nutrients. Some even believe that cooked food is toxic. But before you give up cooking and start juicing, blending, dehydrating and sprouting everything, let’s find out if any of this is true. The Science This diet is based on one simple fact; heat denatures enzymes. However, there’s a lot more to the story. Besides, it probably isn’t a good idea to base your entire diet on a single “fact.” Here’s something to keep in mind. The body produces its own enzymes for digestion so you don’t really need to preserve the natural enzymes in your food. After all, those enzymes will be destroyed by the acid in your stomach during digestion. Although cooking may reduce the amount of water-soluble vitamins such as Vitamin C and Vitamin B in food, it increases the availability of other nutrients and antioxidants. Therefore, if you only eat raw foods you will miss the health benefits of certain nutrients that are only available once the food is cooked. Cooking food also destroys harmful substances such as lectins and phytic acid, which are found in grains and legumes. If these substances are not destroyed they can stop your body from absorbing the…
Tired of Salads and Smoothies? Try This Instead
Healthy foods have an image problem. In most people’s minds, the word ‘healthy” is synonymous with blandness, boring! It’s no surprise that many people only eat healthy food when they’re on a diet. They eat unhealthy foods most of the time and only have a salad or chug a green smoothie every once in a…
Learn MoreSpeech and Language Problems: When Words Come Out Wrong
Speech is the main way we communicate with others. It develops naturally and requires the coordination of multiple body parts, including the brain, mouth, jaw, chest, neck, and abdomen (and you thought saying “What’s up?” was easy). Many people deal with language disorders, making it challenging to communicate with others. Sometimes, a person knows what…
Learn MoreIs It A Cold or Pneumonia?
Most of us only know about one type of pneumonia — the one that hospitalizes about 1 million people every year. However, there’s another kind called walking pneumonia, whose symptoms are very similar to the common cold or flu. About two million people in the US catch walking pneumonia every year. Most think it’s a…
Learn MoreHow to Disclose a Difficult Diagnosis to Your Loved Ones
Having a serious illness like cancer, heart disease, or ALS can be very lonely, and no one should try to bear it alone. First, it isn’t practical to hide something that serious from friends and family without them noticing that something is troubling you. Second, acting like everything is okay when it’s not, requires energy…
Learn MoreGet a Better Workout in Less Time
Some people really love working out, but most want to get their workout done as fast as possible. They’re always looking for the ultimate bang-for-your-buck workouts that get them the best results in the shortest time! Compound exercises are the easiest way to take your workout from good to great without spending more time in…
Learn MoreCoping With Hairloss?
Although baldness is an intentional choice for some people, most desire a full, healthy head of hair because they feel more confident and attractive. Unfortunately, about half of us will experience some form of hair loss before the age of 50. The exact numbers, according to the American Hair Loss Association, are 50% of men…
Learn MoreHow To Control Your Cravings
Do you ever crave certain foods, like crawling across shards of broken glass kind of cravings? That might be a bit extreme, but you get the idea. Food cravings are a universal struggle. One hundred percent of young women and seventy percent of young men experience them; scientists have yet to find a “cure.” But…
Learn MoreWhen Your Whole Body Hurts
It’s early in the New Year, and people are crowding the gyms to get in shape. If you’re one of them, chances are your body is hurting all over! Usually, when pain occurs in one part of the body, it’s easy to pinpoint the cause. But generalized aches and pains are another story and are…
Learn MorePut Away the Scale for Now
Tracking your weight can be frustrating, especially if you have more than a few pounds to lose because weight can fluctuate by more than a few pounds a day. To complicate matters, when you’re thirsty, your body panics and retains water, causing you to weigh even more. When you’re adequately hydrated, your body drops the…
Learn MoreHow To Boost the Brain Chemicals that Make You Happy
When someone asks what makes us happy, we often think of our family and friends, circumstances, and possessions. However, happiness has more to do with the chemicals in our brains than with what’s going on in our lives. In fact, there are four main neurotransmitters associated with the feelings we refer to as happiness: endorphins,…
Learn MoreScience-based Portion Control Tips for the Holiday Season
The average person gains about one pound during the six weeks between Thanksgiving and New Year’s. It may seem like a small price to pay for enjoying your favorite holiday treats, but it’s quite difficult to shed that weight after the festivities. And you know what? That holiday weight gain tends to stick around year…
Learn MoreHow To Push Past Your Physical Limits
Few people push their bodies past their physical limits like Olympic athletes, who’ve proven over and over that when it comes to endurance, strength, and speed, our bodies are capable of far more than we ever thought possible. What if we could learn from these athletes and incorporate their best practices into our workouts? Understanding…
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