Taking vitamins and supplements without consulting with a nutrition professional can lead to unwanted health issues, and can end up being a waste of your money. It is best to do some sort of nutrition assessment like the Primo Blood Chemistry Analysis in order to identify any deficiencies or potential health issues related to nutrient deficiencies.

It is also very important to choose high quality supplements. Many discount store supplements are made with fillers and unnatural ingredients that can exacerbate symptoms. Some use synthetic versions of vitamins that are not easily absorbed or assimilated by some people.

I can't lie and say that I don't miss eating bread on my grain-free diet. I am Latino and Italian, both of which are great bread eaters. My family in Costa Rica made bread for the whole town of Puriscal for decades. Bread is in my blood. I've probably eaten enough bread for two lifetimes if I was honest about my previous consumption. Nonetheless, I experience health problems when I eat grains or foods made from grain flours. So I've had to adjust my life in order to feel better and live longer.

On my last trip to Costa Rica early this year I discovered that they make many non-grain flours there. I was suprised to learn that a traditional cheese bread eaten in many Latin American countries is actually grain-free! Pan de Yuca (yucca buns) are a delicious grain-free cheesey bread that can be eaten on a grain-free diet. It may not be for the strict Paleo Dieter because it is somewhat processed and does have cheese. But I've made adjustments to the recipe to make it healthier and less allergy provoking.

Recently I was approached by a representative of Arm & Hammer's Simply Saline Nasal Care line. They sent me a free Neti Pot Kit so that I could test out their product and write a review if I felt compelled to do so. Since I had suffered with sinus congestion and infections for many years, I agreed to do the review of the product.

Nasal irrigation is used clinically to flush out mucus and eliminate bacteria. A recent STUDY showed that certain bacteria are significantly eliminated by this procedure. Several bacterium species were significantly reduced, but not the H. influenzae that is responsible for a wide range of clinical diseases. Nonetheless, this study supports the claims of those that use such practices to reduce the complaints of sinusitis and allergies.

Guest blogger Dr. Turbide shares some expertise with us on Crohn's disease and other gastrointestinal disorders. Dr. Christian Turbide is a gastrointerologist working in Canada. He is a fellow health blogger with a passion for health like my own. I'm happy to give Dr. Turbide an opportunity to share with my readers.

In the United States the most common cause of hypothyroidism is Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroid. An autoimmune condition is an immunological response of the body against its own tissue and organs. Named after the scientist who first identified this condition, Hashimoto's involves a progressive attack of the thyroid gland by the immune system.

Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

The slow and gradual attack on the thyroid gland by immune cells eventually destroys enough tissue of the gland that it stops producing enough of its hormones. This causes the pituitary to release more thyroid stimulating hormone and can be seen as elevated TSH levels in the blood. This process can take many years and will often go undiagnosed until a large portion of the thyroid tissue has been destroyed.

Is that a sweet potato? Or is that a yam? Good question! I was confused myself for so long. But now I know there is a distinction. That orange colored flesh of the picture on the left is the sweet potato, though it is often labeled as a "yam." It comes from the plant family known as Convovulaceae, or Morning Glory. It is very different from the yam that comes from the Caribbean, which is an edible root of the Discorea genus. The true yam is rough and scaly. And its nutrient content is much different from the sweet potato. There are several varieties and colors of the sweet potato. To make matters even worse, the sweet potato is not a potato either!

If you haven't been following my latest series, I've been discussing the thyroid gland. This seemingly insignificant organ produces hormones that can affect the metabolic rate of every cell in your body. If the thyroid is not functioning properly, your body will begin to feel the negative results of this malfunction.

Last week in Part 3 (Read Part 1, Part 2) I explained the effects of a slow thyroid gland that is not producing enough hormone. This condition is called hypothyroidism.

We have been examining the function and disorders of the thyroid gland, the butterfly shaped gland just below our skin and surrounding our throat. As we get older we become more susceptible to disorders of the thyroid. Unfortunately, most thyroid conditions are not diagnosed early enough to prevent deterioration of the gland and its function. A dead or dying thyroid will impact the quality of one's life. Identifying and preventing damage to this gland will ensure healthy thyroid function.

In part 2 of our series Healthy Thyroid Function we will learn what a healthy thyroid is supposed to do (Read Part 1). This complicated little butterfly shaped organ is quite remarkable in its function and influence on our health.

The word thyroid comes from the Greek word thyreos, which means shield. The thyroid gland not only resembles a shield wrapped protectively around our larynx and trachia, but it acts very much as a protector of our body and our health. This, the largest endocrine gland in our body, releases hormones into our blood which travel to our many organs to regulate many of the functions that keep us alive and well.

The butterfly shaped organ that wraps around our throat is called the thyroid gland. This seemingly indescript organ can actually have a tremendous effect on our health. It's function is somewhat complicated, and disorders of the thyroid are very often overlooked or downplayed. This occurs in spite of the prevalence of thyroid disorders in our society.

Thyroid disorders are believed to affect one in thirteen Americans. That's about twenty million people in the US alone. Of those twenty million, about sixty percent don't even know they have a problem. The numbers of affected further break down into the different types of thyroid disorders. Low thyroid function, high thyroid function and various autoimmune conditions are troubling the bodies and overall health of millions of people.