Hormesis is a hot topic lately. You’ve probably even seen it and not known that this was the name for it or why people were doing it. The most common trend is ice baths although hormesis is any exposure to low doses of stress on the body that can result in beneficial effects. It’s the whole “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” train of thought. It holds the notion that small doses of stressors such as ice baths, saunas, fasting, certain types of exercise, and even certain natural chemicals and ionizing radiation can activate adaptive responses in the body and lead to improved resilience and health outcomes. It is gaining traction in various fields from medicine to aging research and even toxicology, but is there any evidence from the research to suggest that it is worthwhile?

These days everyone is talking about the price of groceries and for good reason, they have gone sky high. Although there is not much I can do to lower the price of one of your favorite foods, I can give you tips and pointers on how to shop smarter and how to eat healthily, even on a budget.

There is a big misconception when it comes to eating healthy foods that it is more expensive. This is not necessarily true. If you are eating out at a restaurant, you will get healthier, better quality at a more expensive restaurant, that is true, but if you are eating at home the majority of the time and preparing your own food (which is not only healthier but cheaper) there are many things you can do to drop the total on that grocery bill and still feed your family healthy nutrient dense foods.

If you were to ask a group of people if they want to live to be 100 years old, most of them would likely say no, if they gave it a bit of thought. This is because most people equate that level of advanced age with illness, disease, immobility, and loss of basic freedoms such as driving or living independently. However, if you asked that same group of people if they would like to live to be 100 if they feel great and have full mobility and cognitive function and are not riddled with chronic disease or illness, most people will say yes! You see the key to healthy aging is not “lifespan” but is instead a relatively new term called “health span”. Your health span is how long you live feeling great and being in good health. So, when we talk about healthy aging, we are talking about health span and what you can do to extend your health span.

Magnesium may not be the star of the show when it comes to vitamins and minerals, but it probably should be. Magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic processes in our bodies and plays a crucial role in maintaining our overall health and well-being. If you are insufficient in magnesium, your body will have a hard time functioning optimally and if you are flat out deficient, you are much more likely to develop a whole bunch of problems. If that’s not enough to convince you to give magnesium a bit more attention, then consider that approximately 68-80% of adults in the U.S. are deficient in magnesium!

So, what exactly does this essential mineral do for us?

What on earth is a polyphenol? Before you possibly think “this sounds too scientific and boring for me,” hear me out because they do make a difference for your health.

Polyphenols are compounds mostly found in plant-based foods. They give color and flavor to our foods but also a bunch of health promoting properties. They are a power punch of antioxidants (and just as a reminder, antioxidants are what help get rid of free radicals that cause oxidative stress (linked to various chronic diseases) on our cells).