Primo Health Blog

No nutrient rich food I can think of has been given a worse reputation than chicken eggs. Well, maybe raw milk is getting the boot now, but eggs are right there with them. The poor chicken egg has been blamed for high cholesterol, high fat and bacterial poisoning. But this stigma is rightfully and hopefully disappearing while the truth about eggs prevails.

Eggs are a storehouse of nutrients all contained in a built-in protective package. Unless you've chosen a vegan/vegetarian approach to food, I highly recommend incorporating eggs into healthy diet. But not just any eggs, as you will see below, but the highest quality eggs you can find. And let me explain why.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) can be a crippling and painful condition of the joints of the body affecting millions of Americans. It is not just a disease of the elderly, typically appearing in people from age 30 to 50. Understanding the mechanism of this autoimmune condition and known treatment options can help the sufferer cope with and possibly control its disconcerting symptoms.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory condition that affects the entire body, but especially the joints.  There is much evidence that RA is an autoimmune reaction, in which antibodies formed by the immune system attack components of joint tissue. (Murray, 2005, p. 761). 

Cardiovascular disease is a class of diseases that involve the heart and/or blood vessels. It is America's number one killer, taking almost one million American lives every year. It is primarliy a lifestyle disease that is preventable. Therefore, our greatest defense is education about heart health and prevention cardiovascular disease.  This is Part 1 of a two part series.

Coronary Artery Disease

Coronary artery disease is the primary form of cardiovascular disease.  It is considered a societal and lifestyle disease and it is the leading cause of death for women in the United States.  It can be expressed as acute myocardial infraction, angina, angiographic coronary stenosis and sudden cardiac death (Rakel, 2007, p. 295).  

The growing of, and consumption of, flaxseed (linseeds) dates back to Babylonian times. Hippocrates wrote about his use of flaxseed for healing abdominal pain. In the 18th Century it was illegal to not eat flaxseed. The early colonists planted flax when they came to America. Though not perfectly accepted in all nutrition circles (i.e., Paleo Diet community) the health benefits of flaxseeds are numerous and worthy of recognition.

Probably my favorite super food to talk about and recommend is the coconut! And when I say coconut, I mean in almost any form you can find it (save for candies and overly-sweetened treats). Coconut oil; coconut water; coconut milk; coconut vinegar; coconut flour; coconut sugar, coconut coconut!

This brown hairy nut is actually the seed of the fruit of the coconut palm tree. Coconuts grow in clusters of ten to twenty. Each tree will have from ten to twenty different clusters growing at one time, all in different stages of development. Once fully matured, the nuts reach a diameter of about 10-12 inches. Their hard outer shell is lined with a fleshy white meat, and the hollow center is filled with a mildly sweet juice often called "coconut water."

One of the keys to living a Primo Healthy life is having a healthy brain.  

We don't often think of our brain as being important in keeping the rest of our body healthy, but by learning the brain's role in maintaining all your vital functions and movement, it becomes clear that we must tend to this organ carefully.

I'll never forget being a young child in Costa Rica traveling with my grandfather. I remember him signaling the bus driver to stop the bus. He jumped off for a few minutes and returned with a bagful of "semillas de marañon." This literally translates to seeds of the marañon. The marañon is an unusual fruit that is native to the coastal areas of Northeastern Brazil. Although the fruit can be eaten and its juice enjoyed, our topic of discussion today is the seeds of the fruit that protrudes strangely from the bottom of the cashew fruit.

The avocado is also known as the alligator pear because of its rough and bumpy exterior.  But don't let its skin fool you.  If you haven't explored beyond its skin, you might be surprised to know it is a creamy buttery inside that captures the taste buds.

Yes it's true, fats can be healthy for you! That's notwhat I believed twenty years ago. Back then it was very popular to eat "fat-free" foods. We were told by the mainstream diet proponents that it was fat that was making us fat. I believed this and made it my mantra to avoid fats at all cost. I strived my best to get the fat content of my meals as close to zero as possible. It's no wonder I've had so many health issues since then.