John Douillard's LifeSpa | Ayurveda + Natural Health
Ancient Wisdom meets Modern ScienceAyurveda + Natural Health News
Do you look forward to your old age? Sadly, aging has become nearly synonymous with a handful of medical concerns, rather than with ripening healthily into greater wisdom and experience. What if these age-related concerns all had a common denominator, something that, if nipped in the bud, would lower your risk of not just one,
Lymphatic Damage Caused by Stress In today’s society, many folks find themselves with a hectic, never-ending, highly stressful to-do list that never seems to get shorter. It is rare to find a person who considers themselves “stress-free.” If left unchecked, consistent stress can have a devastating effect on the adrenals, your digestive microbes, your brain,
Understanding Your Body According to Ayurveda, taking care of your digestion might just be the most important step you can take for your health. And not just your physical health, but your emotional and mental health, too! Strong evidence suggests psychological stress has a marked impact on gastrointestinal health and digestion. Stress is processed through the
Healthy Alternatives to Laxatives Do you know how your elimination is doing? A recent review of scientific literature looked at the state of modern digestion and elimination. Researchers found reports of sluggish elimination common, but inconsistent from country to country. Americans, in particular, seem unsure how to classify their bathroom habits, with survey results ranging
While many detoxification programs seem to make up for lack of research with great packaging, testimonials, and marketing, this does not mean all detoxification programs are bogus, as some experts claim. In fact, the benefits and effectiveness of cleanses are well-documented. In this article, I highlight only a few of the studies suggesting the effectiveness
The Invincible Liver? The liver is the one organ that can take a lifetime of lickings and keep right on ticking—at least we thought so! Sadly, in recent years, the liver’s reputation for invincibility has been challenged by a growing incidence of liver and gallbladder-related concerns and conditions. In today’s world, gallbladder concerns have become
Brown Fat vs White Fat Did you know that we each have two types of fat? One is beneficial, while the other is harmful. These two primary types of fat cells are called brown and white. Brown fat cells are primarily found in newborns and leaner individuals. These cells are rich in energy-making mitochondria and
The Importance of Mucus Membranes The lining of the intestines and respiratory tract is surprisingly LARGE. It could easily cover a tennis court if completely flattened out! Mucus can be a double-edged sword, as it provides both natural protection to these linings, but, in excess, can congest them. Lined with mucus-making cells, called mucus membranes,
What is Bile Sludge? Gallbladder removal surgery (cholecystectomy) is the number one elective abdominal surgery in America today, but problems may begin years before manifestation of biliary sludge, also known as gallbladder sludge or bile sludge.12 Bile sludge is when bile becomes thick and viscous and congests inside the gallbladder. The sludge is a collection
Is Your Brain Shrinking? A handful of factors have been shown to decrease your brain size. Perhaps most noteworthy is the research on vitamin B12 deficiencies, which are linked to poor digestion, low stomach acid, cognitive function, memory concerns, accelerated death of brain cells, and loss of brain volume, aka a shrinking brain. New research
What are Circadian Rhythms? Circadian rhythms are light-dark cycles, as old as the first life on Earth.1 All life, so it seems, had to be intimately connected to cycles of the sun to continue to evolve. One of the most important tenets of Ayurveda is living in sync with natural rhythms. Daily eating cycles, sleeping
The Dark Side of CurcuminFacebook Live November 13, 2019 Whole Herb or Extract? Once again, science tells us the risks of using the turmeric extract curcumin, rather than whole turmeric root. Curcumin is just one of some 300 constituents in turmeric root. It makes sense that when you isolate one of turmeric root’s constituents, it
