The Greatness Files

Your handy guide to holistic wellness

Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Vegan Diets

Common Nutrient Deficiencies in Vegan Diets

The vegan diet is made up of plant-based foods and excludes meat, eggs, dairy, and sometimes honey.1 Individuals choose a vegan diet primarily for health reasons or their concerns about animal welfare.1 Also, eating vegan is considered better for the environment.2 However, there are some concerns about nutrient deficiencies in vegan diets and any form of plant-based diet.

What is Intermittent Fasting? Different Types of Fasting Explained

What is Intermittent Fasting? Different Types of Fasting Explained

Are you familiar with intermittent fasting? The concept behind intermittent fasting is that eating is more about when and how long you eat versus what you eat. There are several different types of intermittent fasts, but the key is the length of the fasting period:1

The Benefits of Ashwagandha for Mood, Mind and More

The Benefits of Ashwagandha for Mood, Mind and More

How much do you know about the herb ashwagandha (pronounced aash-wuh-gaan-duh)? Its scientific name is Withania somnifera and it is an evergreen shrub native to India, Nepal, and Yemen that is also called Indian ginseng or winter cherry.1

What is the Role of Vitamin C in Health and Immune Function?

What is the Role of Vitamin C in Health and Immune Function?

How much do you know about vitamin C? First, your body can’t make it so it must come from food or dietary supplements and because vitamin C is water-soluble, it needs to be constantly replenished because the body can’t store it.1

What Are the Best Ways to Support Heart Health?

What Are the Best Ways to Support Heart Health?

To say the heart is amazing is an understatement. On average, it beats over 100,000 times a day pumping more than 2,000 gallons of blood through the 60,000 miles of blood vessels in your body. With all that activity, supporting heart function relies on a combination of diet, lifestyle, and dietary supplements.

What Does Vitamin D Do for the Body?

What Does Vitamin D Do for the Body?

Here’s an interesting fact about vitamin D: it’s not a vitamin! It’s actually a hormone that acts like a fat-soluble vitamin in the body with the most active form being vitamin D3.1 Another interesting aspect of vitamin D is that when the sun shines on bare skin, the body makes vitamin D.2 And finally, the most important attribute of vitamin D is that it helps support health on many levels.2

Is Melatonin Right for You?

Is Melatonin Right for You?

While the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society both recommend that adults get at least seven hours of sleep each night, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than 25% of adults don’t meet that requirement. Yet, research is clear that getting enough sleep is critical to supporting both physical and mental health.

Ready to Achieve Your New Year’s Fitness Goals?

Ready to Achieve Your New Year’s Fitness Goals?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), being physically active is critical to health because it improves brain function, helps manage weight, strengthens bones, and improves overall well-being. Research also shows that exercise is associated with better mental health, sleep, and self-esteem. While the health benefits of exercise are well-known, it can be challenging to create a consistent fitness routine.

The Gut-Brain Axis: What Controls Appetite in the Brain?

The Gut-Brain Axis: What Controls Appetite in the Brain?

What controls appetite in the brain? The answer may surprise you. It’s the gut! Emerging research is confirming that there is a clear connection between the gut, the brain, and appetite.

Why Giving Makes You Happy and the Health Benefits

Why Giving Makes You Happy and the Health Benefits

As it turns out, “giving” is the gift that keeps on giving! Emerging research shows that it really is better to give than to receive…at least from a health perspective. But why is generosity good for health? Below we go over why giving makes you happy and the health benefits of giving to others.

Can Your Gut Health Influence the Health of Your Joints?

Can Your Gut Health Influence the Health of Your Joints?

When you think of the gut, you may think of it as that compartment located behind your belly button. Or maybe you think of it as the system that digests the foods you eat. While it’s true that the gut plays a significant role in digestion, research now shows that the gut expands its borders well beyond the compartment you may visualize, influencing far more than digestion.1

Is Yoga the Best Low Intensity Workout?

Is Yoga the Best Low Intensity Workout?

As we learned from the tortoise and the hare, slow and steady wins the race. This means that results come...

What’s the Role of Zinc in Immunity?

What’s the Role of Zinc in Immunity?

Supporting strong immunity is important, especially during certain times of the year. The immune system is a complex array of cells, chemicals, organs, and processes with one primary goal…to protect you from outside invaders.1

What is Creatine? Uses and Benefits

What is Creatine? Uses and Benefits

When you see “creatine,” you probably think of exercise. And you’re right. Creatine is known for helping gym-goers have better workouts.* But let’s pull back the curtain—what exactly is creatine? 

Why is Oral Health Important?

Why is Oral Health Important?

It has been said that the mouth is a window to your overall health. You may be surprised about how much influence oral health has on the rest of your body. Here’s why oral health is so important.