kbarnes 
Gardening is the world’s best kept exercise secret. But that’s changing. Recent medical studies have documented what backyard enthusiasts have known for years: Gardening is good for us and it’s a great way to achieve and maintain physical fitness. Regular garden chores can burn anywhere from 120 to 200 calories per 30 minutes, depending on … Read more
If you’re anything like me, you spend an inordinate number of hours a day sitting. And if you’re anything like me, you also find yourself hunching over your keyboard, your spine in a crescent shape and inevitably, you get a pain in your lower back, tight shoulders and neck pain. The experts say that as … Read more
I’ve written many times about the addictive nature of sugar and the health risks it creates. But did you know sugar can quite literally kill you? I have to admit, even my skeptical nature was shocked when I read a study just published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that solidly links … Read more
This is one of Kathleen’s articles published in Natural Awakenings magazine. The ancient Chinese art of acupuncture, in practice for at least two millennia, has gained popularity and credibility in modern Western medicine. “There is lots of research to support the effectiveness of acupuncture for a wide variety of conditions,” says Thomas Burgoon, M.D., president … Read more
I am of the firm belief that everyone needs a pet. Whether it’s a dog, cat, bird or goldfish, I’ll go farther to say that a house is not a home without a pet. A huge body of research confirms that people with pets have healthier hearts, stay home sick less often, make fewer visits … Read more
NOTE FROM KATHLEEN: This is a repeat from a few years back. It’s worth repeating since several of my friends have been diagnosed with various types of cancer. The good news about the particular friend in this article: She chose an integrative approach and she is alive and well today. One of my oldest and … Read more
In the beginning of the Covid pandemic, I got an unexplained craving for garlic. I mean, my friends, this was serious. I’ve always thought garlic was fine and added great flavor to a variety of dishes. But suddenly, I could eat an entire clove of roasted garlic without thinking twice and even consider a second … Read more
We’re coming into allergy season—in fact it’s in full swing here in my mountains of Western North Carolina. Here’s a wonderful way to combat that drippy nose, cough and headache: Neti is an ancient yogic practice for nasal health and to eliminate toxins from the nasal membranes that has special significance for us here in … Read more
This is an excerpt from Kathleen’s book, Our Toxic World: A Survivor’s Guide We live in a toxic world. Toxic exposure is inevitable unless we can learn to live without breathing, eating or interacting with any substances around us. If you’ve figured out how to do any of those, please let me know your secret! … Read more
Most of you have heard of melatonin–and possibly used it–to help you sleep. But what if I told you that there is a little-known property to melatonin that is especially important in today’s world: It can boost immune function, and especially improve resistance to viruses? Here’s what we know about this elusive pseudo hormone and … Read more