John Douillard's LifeSpa | Ayurveda + Natural Health
Ancient Wisdom meets Modern ScienceAyurveda + Natural Health News
In this section, you will find well-documented articles citing foods, substances, supplements and herbs that should be avoided. In most cases, the pros and cons regarding these items are discussed allowing you to make your own choice about the frequency of ingesting these products. The purpose of this section is to educate you on how to stay out of harm’s way by avoiding toxic substances.
When the Heat is On… According to Ayurveda, honey is one of the most powerful medicines. However, honey lovers should beware: it can become a harmful toxin if heated. Heating or cooking with honey is a major source of ama: indigestible substance. Ama is linked to the cause of most health issues. This article will answer the following
The Hygiene Hypothesis The hygiene hypothesis, or hormesis, is the idea that our immune system developed over millions of years from eating hard-to-digest foods, antinutrients, and naturally occurring food toxins that may irritate the intestinal lining. The irritation from antinutrients protecting the seed, nut, grain, bean, or fruit provide the gut stimulation. Gut stimulation leads to gut immunity, which makes up 70%
Does manjistha cause cancer? Recently, I have been getting many emails telling me it does. This is a case of mistaken identity, as plenty of science suggests the real manjistha does nothing of the sort; rather, it may actually help support healthy cell proliferation. The confusion has to do with web searches for manjistha
Gluten-Free Diet: Fad or Fix? In recent years, the gluten-free diet has become incredibly fashionable. However, 98% of the population is NOT diagnosed with gluten sensitivity, celiac disease, or wheat allergy. For the majority of us, going gluten-free might actually do more harm than good! Before you go gluten-free, please read this article. Gluten + Wheat Build Immunity The Hygiene Hypothesis, or hormesis, is
What is candida overgrowth and what are the symptoms? Candida is a naturally-occurring yeast or fungus that inhabits the mouth, gut, vagina, and other mucosal membranes of the body. Ordinarily, it is harmless, existing in balance with the trillions of other bacteria that make your body home. Concerns arise when that balance is disrupted. This
Marijuana: the Good, the Bad + the Ugly Marijuana is often viewed as a harmless bit of fun. Increasing legalization may be supporting this view for many. But does the science agree? In 2013 and 2015, I wrote about my growing concerns regarding legalization of marijuana in America. My major concern is the well-established research
Minerals: You Are Probably Deficient According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), more than one-third of the US population is deficient in either one vitamin or mineral. The most common mineral deficiency is iron.1 In fact, iron deficiency is the most common deficiency in the world, and it is often not diagnosed
What Should We Eat? Diet wars keep raging as we humans try to solve one of our most controversial issues: what should we eat? In a recent study, a diet strikingly similar to what is suggested in Ayurveda has been found to dramatically lower risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke, the second leading cause of
Is Meat Really Back on the Menu? We’ve all heard we should stop eating meat, and also that we should eat more meat! What are we to believe? A controversial study suggesting new dietary guidelines around meat was recently published in Annals of Internal Medicine, suggesting there was low evidence that red meat or processed
Apparently, heart disease is on the rise! The Wall Street Journal analyzed rising rates of heart disease among middle-aged Americans (between 45 and 64), finding some of the healthiest places, like Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and Greeley, Colorado, saw some of the highest death rates from heart disease, with a rise of nearly 25% in 2015-2016, compared to 2010-11.1
Does Brahmi Cause Liver Damage? I have received numerous emails about the safety of an herb called brahmi (Centella asiatica), aka gotu kola. This herb is not to be confused with the south Indian herb bacopa (Bacopa monnieri), also sometimes called brahmi. Let me assure you that brahmi (Centella asiatica) is perfectly safe. Read on
The High Risk of Chlorinated Drinking Water Do you know what’s in your drinking water? A recent Johns Hopkins study discovered carcinogenic toxins in American tap water treated with chlorine.1 These newly found chemicals are byproducts that occur when disinfectants (like chlorine) combine with phenolic chemicals. Some phenols occur naturally, while others are residues from
