Why celebrating life with food is important for our health

Especially in the darkest months of the year, there seems to be an endless amount of celebrations.
No matter what is always a common theme: food is the main attraction! In fact, the focus society currently places on food has caused us to associate certain foods with holidays, past events and special times. When we sink our teeth into such foods, it can bring back memories we hold close and take us back to a time we enjoyed. Food is much more powerful than we think!

From catching up for coffee, relaxing over brunch, indulging in a long lunch or bonding at a BBQ, it’s hard to imagine getting together without the company of food. Food is something we all have in common, we all must eat, most of us find food pleasurable and trying new foods or cafes is a new experience we can share with others. 

Symptoms and natural treatments of indigestion

Indigestion or heartburn can happen when your body has trouble digesting food. Anyone can get it on occasion, or it can be an ongoing problem. Heartburn is especially prominent in December with so many holidays accompanied with delicious foods, that prompt us to overindulge.

While acid reflux is a common phenomenon, not all symptoms of it, are very obvious.
When heartburn happens, for instance due to smoking, alcohol, medication, carbonated drinks or some foods that are difficult to process (spices, fats, acids, fiber) may cause a valve-like stomach muscle to loosen, allowing stomach acid to backwash into the esophagus. This exposes sensitive tissue in the chest to stomach acids, causing painful symptoms.
Common symptoms of reflux are a burning feeling in your chest or stomach, burping, bloating, gurgling stomach, acid reflux, heartburn, nausea or even vomiting.

Problems in your GI tract or other health issues also can cause indigestion. These include:
- acid reflux, gastroesophageal reflux (GER), or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): A reaction to food and drink where contents come back up from your stomach. The acid can come up into your esophagus, the tube-like organ connecting your mouth and stomach. Acid reflux also can produce vomiting. This condition causes heartburn because of the high acid contents.
- irritable bowel syndrome: a disorder that affects your intestines. Symptoms include stomach pain, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea.
- infection: a bacterial infection from Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) can cause indigestion.
- gastroparesis: A condition that affects digestion. If muscles in your GI tract stop working, your body slows down or stops the movement of food. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, bloating, and acid reflux.
- ulcer: A sore on the lining of your stomach (peptic ulcer), small intestine, or esophagus.
- gastritis: Inflammation of your stomach lining.
- stomach cancer: This is a rare condition, but indigestion can be one of its signs.

What causes gall stones and how to get rid of them?

Many people suffer from gallstones. While it's possible to have gallstones and not know it, severe cases can lead to rupturing of the gallbladder and even death. Understanding your gallbladder and naturally supporting it with the right nutrition is imperative for good health.

Why do we get the flu in winter?

Being cold doesn’t literally make you catch a cold, but it certainly seems likely how the coldest season is, as a matter of fact, the 'cold' season. Why is there a substantial increase in common colds and flus as soon as it gets cold outside?

The flu really does thrive in winter

There’s no doubt that the flu virus somehow thrives in the cold.
As it turns out, the virus is basically designed to jump from person to person when the air is cold and dry. Studies have shown that transmission rates are highest when temperature and humidity are both low. Because cold air naturally holds less water, low humidity levels are typical for winter.
Even when we make our homes comfortably warm, the air stays just as dry unless we use a humidifier.

But why do viruses thrive in cold air?

Cold air may help the flu virus survive longer outside of a human host, making it easier to linger after a cough or sneeze. And apparently the virus does a better job of circulating in low humidity.
An infected individual exhales virus encased in tiny water droplets, and those droplets evaporate more quickly if the air is dry. If the flu droplet shrinks fast enough, it can become so light that it circulates around in the air instead of falling to the ground.