John Douillard's LifeSpa | Ayurveda + Natural Health
Ancient Wisdom meets Modern ScienceAyurveda + Natural Health News
Prebiotic Foods for Healthy Digestion and a Healthy Microbiome I’m sure you know about probiotics. But do you know about the importance of prebiotic foods? Prebiotics are a class of food not broken down in the stomach or small intestine. Instead they find their way, undigested, into the colon, where they are gobbled up by trillions
Why do our thyroids need our support? The thyroid is perhaps the most sensitive organ in the body, especially when it comes to the environment. To make matters worse, in America, we are dumping some four billion environmental pollutants into the environment each year.1 Today, an estimated 20 million Americans suffer from thyroid conditions. A shocking
Is fluoride helpful? Is fluoride safe? Let’s dig into the history and science of this mineral to see what we can find. History of Fluoridation In the 1930s, researchers found a low incidence of dental caries in areas where water was naturally high in fluoride.1,2 In 1945, the US started adding fluoride to the public
Mineral Deficiency In 1936, the Department of Agriculture wrote the first report on mineral deficiencies. It stated virtually all soils and 99% of people in the US were mineral deficient! The situation hasn’t gotten any better. With the start of pesticides and fertilizers in the 1940s, a 2001 report in the Journal of Complimentary Medicine
Ayurveda + Modern Science for Healthy Pregnancy According to Ayurveda, preparing for pregnancy is as important as getting pregnant, being pregnant, staying pregnant, and delivering a healthy child. Today, understanding these ancient principles is more important than ever. But it is important to understand modern pregnancy risks as well. In this article, I discuss some
Is Iodine Enough? Iodine may be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of healthy thyroid function, but sometimes taking iodine alone isn’t enough. Ayurveda suggests some herbs to support healthy iodine absorption into the thyroid. Guggul for Thyroid In one study, guggul (Commiphora mukul) was shown to increase uptake of iodine into
You may have heard extreme claims about iodine—that we’re all deficient, causing us to be flooded with fluoride, or that it will poison you and destroy your thyroid gland. I’m here to bring some sober statistics to the table about this important trace element and a plan to moderately and safely introduce it into your routine.
It would be quite a skill to avoid fluoride these days. Most water supplies have it, as do most toothpastes, non-stick pans, and many medications such as Prozac (flouxetine). It is estimated that the average American gets somewhere between 1.6 and 6.6mg of fluoride each day. The World Health Organization considers safe levels of fluoride
In the first study of its kind, researchers at the University at Surrey are suggesting that those who drink milk alternatives (such as almond, hemp, soy, rice, oat, hazelnut or coconut) instead of cow’s milk (a good source of iodine) may be iodine deficient as a result. (1,2) According to this study, published in October
What is the Pineal Gland? The pineal gland is a pea-sized gland in the deep center of the skull. With the prevalence of chemicals like fluoride in our environment, it is important to detox the pineal gland to keep it functioning optimally. The pineal gland may be most well-known for its production of melatonin. It
Iodine deficiency is one of the most important and prevalent global deficiencies of the late 20th and early 21st century. While great strides have been made in fighting this epidemic, there is still ample work to be done. Here are some statistics: From 1971-1994, iodine intake levels in the United States decreased by 50%, according
