Check out Charlotte Bradley's columns below:

A Healthy Thanksgiving for Mind, Body and Spirit - At Thanksgiving time (in fact throughout the entire holiday season) it is easy to get caught up in the excitement and frenzy of it all, sometimes to the detriment of our health. Holidays are meant to be a time of joy, fun and celebration. We need to figure out how to balance the craziness of the holidays with our lives so that we can truly enjoy them.

A Life without Sleeping Pills – Ending the Cycle of Insomnia - Another sleepless night. We’ve all been there at one point or another watching the clock roll past midnight, one a.m., two a.m., and perhaps even seeing dawn before finally drifting off.

Aromatherapy - What We Live and Breathe - Aromatherapy is a form of alternative, holistic medicine that uses essential oils and other aromatic compounds extracted from plants for the purpose of affecting mood and health. 

Fight Memory Loss with These 10 Brain Boosting Tips - Fighting memory loss is not as difficult as you might imagine, and you definitely don't have to assume that simply because you're getting older you'll have memory issues. There are many steps you can take, and small changes to your daily routine that can help bolster your memory.

Food Mood Swings - Can What you Eat Affect your Mood?
As I’m sure you have experienced, this is a two-way street. What you eat affects how you feel and how you feel affects what you eat. When stressed we tend to overeat or under eat, neither of which is healthy. Food may be an escape; we eat because it makes us feel better. Or some people find that stress makes them not want to eat at all, they are too distracted or physically feel ill.

Stay Healthy this Winter with Natural Cold and Flu Fighters - 'Tis the Season for late night wrap sessions, festive baking, and joyous celebration. Throw in a poor diet, and the inevitable holiday sleep loss, and before you can sing "Let it Snow," you've got the makings of a long, miserable cold and flu season. 

Yoga - Fitness and Weight Loss - As anyone who watches late-night television can attest, there are no shortage of “innovative” new weight loss programs out there. Numerous infomercials tout the benefits of expensive machines, videos, and pills, all of which are “guaranteed” to help us lose weight and look better. However, there’s another form of exercise that offers these same benefits, as well as countless others. “It” is yoga, and while you probably have heard of it, you may not be aware of just how powerful this ancient practice can be.
 

Healthy Foods - Healthy Cooking Ingredients:

Agave Nectar - What is Agave Nectar - Agave (pronounced ah-GAH-vay) nectar is a syrup made from the agave plant. It has become popular in recent years as people look for healthier alternatives to white sugar. Called agave, agave syrup or agave nectar, this liquid sweetener is similar to honey but has a thinner consistency and a slightly more intense flavor. Agave nectar has a low-glycemic load so it won't elevate blood sugar levels as quickly as white sugar - a definite benefit for diabetics.

Ancient Chia Seed - How it Can Benefit Your Health - You may know Chia as the sprouts that grow on the porous clay figurines called Chia Pets, however there is much more to it than that! Chia has both nutritional and medicinal benefits. The seeds are an excellent source of essential fatty acids and are a great addition to a healthy diet.

Buckwheat Flour - Adds Nutrients and Flavor to Baked Goods - Buckwheat flour is gluten-free which makes it a good choice for anybody with gluten sensitivities or celiac disease. It is packed with nutrients, readily available, easy to work with and has a nice nutty flavor.

Kamut - Wheat Free Food - Kamut and Chickpea Salad - Although Kamut is related to wheat, many people who are wheat intolerant are able to eat Kamut. It is generally found to be more digestible. Studies by the International Food Allergy Association (IFAA) concluded "For most wheat sensitive people, Kamut grain can be an excellent substitute for common wheat." Also includes a recipe for Kamut and Chickpea Salad.

Living in a Wheat-Free World - Wheat Sensitivities and their Implication for our Daily Bread - Wheat is a staple of North American life that is both highly nutritious and inexpensive.  It's also one of the top eight food allergens. Wheat shares this dubious distinction with the likes of peanuts, tree nuts, milk, fish, shellfish, and soy. Though true wheat allergies are rare (less than one-half of one percent of the adult population), wheat and gluten intolerance are much more common and affect up to 15 percent of the population.

Millet - A Healthy Whole Grain
You may think of millet as a key ingredient in bird seed and animal feed. While it is used for these purposes, millet has been an important food source for a large part of the world’s human population dating back to prehistoric times! This is for good reason, as millet is a tasty and highly nutritious grain - a worthy addition to a varied and healthy diet. Includes a recipe for Blueberry Muffins with Millet.

Quinoa - Nutritious and Simple to Prepare - font face="Verdana" size="2">It is easy to see why quinoa was the one called the “gold of the Incas”. Quinoa (pronounced Keen-wah) is very nutritious, grows well even under harsh conditions, is easy to prepare, and can be used in a variety of ways. Includes a recipe for Tabbouleh (Tabouli) Salad with Quinoa.

Sage - Easy-to-Grow Sage is a Wonderful Addition to Your Kitchen Herb Garden. Like many other herbs, sage has a long and glorious past. Throughout history, sage has had more to do with medicine than actual cooking. Even Charlemagne had it grown in his royal garden. It’s always interesting to think that the same little leaves that taste so good with turkey were once used in sacred ceremonies and associated with immortality.

Shiso - Also know as Perilla, Kemangi. & Beefsteak Leaf. Shiso is an herb better known in Asia than the United States. It is a member of the mint family and has many uses in both food and medicine.

Spelt Flour - Add Spelt Flour to your Diet for Variety and Nutrition - Spelt flour is one of the most popular and widely available non-wheat flours. It is similar in appearance to wheat but has a much harder outer shell. It does contain gluten and is a popular substitute for wheat in baked goods. Spelt has gained popularity in recent years. We have become more aware of the need to vary the grains we consume and we are seeking out healthy alternatives. Article includes a recipe for Spelt Crepes with Maple Caramelized Apples.

Stevia - A Natural and Healthy Sweetener - Stevia is used as a dietary supplement and sugar substitute. It has no calories, no carbohydrates, and a zero glycemic index which makes it a great natural alternative to sugar and chemical sweeteners. Stevia is up to 300 times sweeter than sugar.  Article includes a recipe, using Stevia, for Raisin Scones.

Teff - A Nutritious and Versatile Grain - Teff is an ancient and intriguing grain, tiny in size yet packed with nutrition. It is simple to prepare and similar to millet or quinoa in cooking. Teff is a great addition to your diet for nutrition, taste, and variety. Article includes a recipe for Blueberry Lemon Loaf with Teff Flour.