When we meet someone for the first time we often create an image in our mind of who the person is and whether that person is worth getting to know. We can decide to close our hearts to this person if the initial interaction is uncomfortable. If we’re too quick to judge though, we may…

If you’re looking for a quick mood booster and something to relieve pain, you may want to consider taking SAMe (S-adenosyl-L-methionine, also known as S-adenosyl methionine). SAMe is a naturally occurring molecule that is found throughout the body, with especially high concentrations in the adrenals, liver, and brain. SAMe has been studied as an osteoarthritis…

Being the caregiver for a seriously ill spouse is one of the most challenging and stressful roles a spouse can undertake. Some marriages will strengthen under such adversity, but many more will disintegrate without good direction. No two situations are the same, but some fears, worries, and concerns are universal for caregiver spouses, such as…

Researchers from Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston recently found that eating blueberries and strawberries regularly seems to help protect the brain from the effects of aging. Over 16,000 participants, all over the age of 70, were studied in the long-running U.S. Nurses’ Health Study.  Results found that women who ate…

After suffering a betrayal, most of us want two things:  we want to wound the person who hurt us and we want to offer that person forgiveness.  We find, though, that neither of these tactics work. Wounding the other person makes us feel worse, and forgiveness, especially if it’s half-hearted, can come off as condescension….

A study published in February 2012 had some good news for women. The study, which investigated the eating habits of more than 20,000 women in Malmo, Sweden, showed that women who ate a high fiber diet had an almost 25% lower risk of cardiovascular disease than women whose diets were low in fiber. The study…

The enneagram describes nine points of view, each energized by a unique core motivation.  Our point of view can be thought of as a personality type, although the teachings of the enneagram tell more than our personality type, they tell us who we are in a much deeper sense.  A key assumption is that each…

The early sessions of couples therapy can have many challenges.  In highly distressed relationships, a common pattern is that each partner wants the other to change first.  The complaining partner demands massive changes, with no realization of how much is being requested.  When the targeted partner won’t answer, the therapist is caught in the middle. …

Since the 1980’s, we’ve been advised to eat five or six small meals per day to rev up the metabolism. Interestingly, obesity rates began rising rapidly in the 80’s along with the advice to eat more meals. Dr. Andrew Weil suggests a different approach, which he terms “intermittent fasting” or IF, in which a greater-than-normal…