Get Dr La Puma's Healthy Bites & Weekly Wows in your inbox to help you feel your best inside and out. Insights, healthy recipes and recommended household, culinary, literary, botanical and natural products to make your life easier, healthier and more fun.
If you love to be outdoors, but are irritated by seasonal pollen, consider the herb Stinging Nettle to help reduce the sneezing and itching symptoms of hay fever. A well-established remedy in Western botanical medicine, Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) leaves are recognized for their [...]
Though some will argue the apricot’s place of origin — China, Persia, India, or Armenia — there’s no denying the worldwide appeal of the tangy flavor packed in this little fruit. Now widely grown in the Americas, apricots make a healthy and versatile food choice, great for cooking, [...]
Feeling sluggish? Unmotivated? Stressed? Depressed or anxious? Before you reach for medication, consider a remedy that exists just beyond your front door: nature and nature therapy! Compelling scientific evidence shows the less time children and adults spend in nature, the greater the detriment to [...]
Cilantro and coriander both come from the same plant species Coriandrum sativum. But in different parts of the world, the very same plant is referred to differently. Coriander or cilantro: what’s the difference? Is there one? For Americans, cilantro refers to the leaves and the stalks, both [...]
When it comes to dietary fats and carbohydrates, the advice has varied greatly — to say the least! Apparently fats are bad, but some are good, and carbs are terrible for you except when they’re not — so how are we supposed to know what’s what? But the good [...]
Today’s video is about a personal favorite of mine: the fragrant lavender plant. (If you’re not already following us on YouTube, check out our videos!) We all know that lavender smells incredible and has been used for centuries to help induce sleepiness; that’s why a nice sachet [...]
Most people are aware that preparing food with Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) has many health benefits, but few know how to properly select EVOO. Even more surprising: grocery store shelves are filled with imposter EVOO! So how can you tell the difference? Never fear, I’m here to help [...]
Today over on our YouTube page we’re talking about why gardening is so good for your health. (Yes, we’re on YouTube! Give us a follow if you don’t already.) You might be asking: Dr. John, is gardening really good for your health? What’s so good for me about digging [...]
This week’s video is all about Nature Deficit Disorder. But some of you might be asking, just what exactly is nature deficit disorder? How do you catch it? Do you have it right now?! The bad news is, if you live in or near a city, you’ve got Nature Deficit [...]
A few weeks back I shared a list of three great natural ways to reduce stress and anxiety to complement my video interview with med student Brookes Regenhardt about her story of overcoming stress and anxiety through hiking. Today I’m sharing part two of our fascinating interview — along [...]