When my younger brother finally got married, he asked our sisters and me at a family reunion for well wishes for the daughter they were expecting. My sisters offered beauty, grace, etc. while I suggested "good mitochondria." They all gave me an askance look. I pointed out our level of energy every day is determined by how much ATP our mitochondria produce to activate the enzymes that make our bodies go. The amount of ATP mitochondria produce is determined by genetics, exercise level, thyroid activity, nutritional status and the amount of damage the mitochondria have sustained.

Stress - emotional, physical, environmental, and spiritual - we all experience it. Sometimes the effects are positive - like getting married or running a marathon - but most often negative. Is there a way to determine when the stress, no matter how desirable, is destructive? Are there nutritional supplements that help protect us from the damaging effects of chronic stress?

We are all very aware of the huge impact sex hormones have on our physiology, anatomy and emotional function. However, few of us think about what happens to the hormones once they have done their job. There are several different pathways by which hormones are detoxified - some are quick, safe and effective while others create metabolites with significant negative effects on health. The speed and detoxification pathway the hormones take is determined by genetics, lifestyle, diet and nutritional status.

Although most of us believe we are not deficient in iodine since the fortification of salt with iodine, the fact is most people are deficient and don't know it. Due to changes in food intake, eating patterns and food production methods, iodine intake has been decreasing in the U.S. since the early 70's. Even worse, we are exposed to increasing levels of environmental toxins that either block the absorption of iodine or block its actions in the body.

According to IMS Health, the most widely dispensed class of medications on a volume basis in 2008 was cholesterol-lowering drugs. (In fact, four of the top 10 most widely prescribed classes of drugs were for cardiovascular disease.)

We have all seen the many ads for statin drugs, low-fat foods, cholesterol-free foods, etc., all proclaiming they lower cholesterol, which is supposed to be good for our hearts. This must mean then that cholesterol is bad for us, right?

Well, no. Cholesterol is so important for our health that the body produces more of it each day than most of us consume in our diet. It is used to make cell walls, insulate nerves, carry fats in the blood, make steroidal hormones and vitamin D, and repair injuries—the list is long.