Dogs can actually catch your cold or flu. Who knew?? Like us, they can come down with a whole slew of respiratory bugs: cold viruses, flu viruses, bacterial respiratory infections such as kennel cough (Bordatella). Dogs even have a doggie-specific flu virus, “canine influenza virus” and the symptoms are similar to our own annual people version of the flu…achiness, fatigue, fever, runny nose, wet cough.
As the seasons shift, you may notice yourself being affected by it in many different ways. Perhaps you'll develop seasonal allergies, feel more sluggish, or have sinus problems. Whatever the case, it's important we take the time to prepare our bodies for the shift to fall to ensure a healthy transition. Here's how to do exactly that.
Did you know that at least 10% of the dogs in the U.S. suffer from heart disease? The rate is even higher in elderly dogs (my old chihuahua has the beginnings of congestive heart failure), and in certain breeds. Breeds with a susceptibility to heart issues include chihuahuas, along with basset hounds, lab retrievers, German shepherds, golden retrievers, boxers, rottweilers and others. If you have one of those breeds, it’s not a bad idea to start support early and, of course, to make sure your dog is checked out by the vet regularly.
As someone who has been living with chronic pain for years, I’m slowly learning that nature has all the answers. We just need to ask the right questions and be willing to listen—listen to our bodies, to our minds, and to our souls. In our lifetime, we all go through physical and mental pain—not to mention heartache. And nature has everything that we need to heal, ready and waiting.
Mushrooms seem to do just about everything, medicinally-speaking, and I’ve written previously about mushrooms for the liver, heart and immune system. This time, let’s take a look at what mushrooms can do for the
I love eating seasonally, and when fall rolls around, that means eating more mushrooms. There are three adaptogenic mushrooms I particularly like to incorporate into my diet: chaga, reishi and shiitake. Find out what makes these mushrooms so special, along with fun ways to incorporate them into your day.
I always say that my favorite way to use medicinal mushrooms is to eat them. Sometimes we need stronger mushroom medicine or are working with one that isn’t edible (ever tried biting into Reishi?). In these instances, concentrated mushroom powders are a great way to go.
Thank your liver daily. The liver deals with almost everything that enters the body via the mouth, nose, and skin, sorting out the good from the bad and processing the bad so that it doesn’t damage the rest of the body.
Chronic stuffy sinuses may be due to allergies, diet, infection, or structural issues in the airways. More than one of these may be at play for some folks. When the mucus is clear, the issue may be related to allergies, diet, or chronic low-level infection. Acute infections are most often viral, which means that antibiotics won’t work.
Blood sugar is key to keeping our cells alive and fueled to do their thing, whether they’re muscle cells or cells in the brain.