When John arrived at the Prama Wellness Center a few years ago, he had been diagnosed with lupus, an autoimmune disease which can be quite painful and debilitating. Working a busy IT job during the week, John had very little time for family and friends on the weekend. Not because he could not fit quality family time into his schedule, but simple because he was too tired to get up from bed.

The cold season is upon us. Here in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the leaves are turning bright red and yellow. The winds are chilly. Smoke can be seen from early morning chimneys. This is the time for reduced immune systems; the time for chest colds and flu fevers. But these cold season maladies are not inevitable. Not if we take charge and build up a strong defense by bolstering our immune system.

Have you ever heard of the term adaptogen? An adaptogen is an herb which helps the body adapt to stress in a more balanced way. These herbs have been used in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine for thousands of years. But it is only recently, however, that scientists have begun to study these potent plants.

Many plant-based food experts claim that fresh fruit juices contain too much sugar and are therefore unhealthy. One of the latest of these anti-fruit-juicing messages comes from the book, The Whole Foods Diet by John Mackey, the CEO and founder of Whole Foods Market. What are the facts?

I never realized how important fresh and clean water was to my life before I, as a young man, spent time in poor and dry parts of India, where fresh water was not always easy to come by. Especially not clean water. One day, in the sweltering heat of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit, I sank to my knees of exhaustion due to dehydration. Water is indeed essential for keeping us energized and alive.

Are you confused about all the hoopla about whether an alkaline diet is good for you or not? Have you started to think that drinking lots of water and juice to become alkaline is just another diet hype? Then you are not alone.
Just Google the concepts, or go on youtube, and you will hear from various experts claiming to tell the truth. Vegan and raw food proponents will tell you that alkaline food is important, because an acidic body is an unhealthy and toxic body. While experts who adhere to the paleo or the ketogenic diets, which are high in animal protein, will claim that the need for alkaline food is just a myth. So who is telling the truth?

If your body is acidic due to poor digestion caused by a diet of too much refined flours, processed foods, sugar (including honey and agave), dairy and meat, combined with stress, your immune system can eventually break down and your digestive tract can become imbalanced and inflamed.

We are living longer today than ever before, but we are also dying longer. Half of Americans age 65 orolder have one or more chronic diseases costing society more than a trillion dollars a year in medicalcare.