There are plenty of odd pseudoscientific health practices out there, but psychic surgery kicks it up to a whole new level of weird. Psychic surgery isn’t like what happens in an operating room; it’s more like what happens on a magician’s stage. Sleight of hand, fake blood, and animal parts are used to make the […]
Is Psychic Surgery a Real Thing? Read More »
Detox diets and cleanses are quite popular these days, especially if you’re of the Goop-y persuasion. And while they might seem to make sense on an intuitive level, from a scientific perspective, is there anything to actually back that up? Or is it just pseudoscientific nonsense? “Toxins” Commercial detox products tend to refer vaguely to
Do You Actually Need to Detox or Cleanse? Read More »
The term adrenal fatigue was first used by chiropractor James Wilson in 1998, and it became popular with a book he published in 2001. I’ve written before about some of the quacky dabbling of chiropractors outside the neck and back pain issues we commonly associate them with. You can probably guess from that alone where
Does Adrenal Fatigue Actually Exist? Read More »
Some people claim that vitamins and minerals can cure serious mental illness. That’s not what I’m talking about here. While in general, there’s not a ton of research funding for supplements and herbal products, there are a number of supplements that do have some research evidence to support their effectiveness in depression. For people with
Supplements for Depression that Actually Work Read More »
Crystals are pretty, there’s no doubt about that. But do they actually have healing powers as some claim, and can they do anything for your health and wellbeing? The belief that precious stones have healing powers has been around for centuries. In current practice, it’s most often associated with the New Age movement. It draws
Do Crystals Have Healing Powers? Read More »
There are a lot of weird alternative health interventions out there, but colon cleanses, also known as colon hydrotherapy or colonics, have got to be among the weirder ones. Apparently, this has been around since the time of the ancient Egyptians; however, it only appeared on my radar a few years back when a colonics
Colon Cleanses: Is a Coffee Enema Good for You? Read More »
I’m a big fan of aromatherapy. I have a diffuser and use a variety of essential oil blends, and if they’re just a pleasant placebo, I’m good with that. Essential oils smell nice and they’re a great way to practice self-care. But do they live up to the various health claims that people make about
Are Essential Oils a Placebo or Something More? Read More »
A couple of people commented on a recent post about my take on reiki. Essentially, their question was: is reiki bullshit? Ask and ye shall receive. What is it? First, what exactly is reiki? The International Center for Reiki Training (ICRT) says that reiki “is based on the idea that an unseen ‘life force energy’ flows
Is Reiki Legit or Bullshit? Read More »
I’ve recently come across some news articles about homeopathy that have caught my eye. One was about claims that homeopathy could prevent measles (homeoprophylaxis is the fancy term for this); another was about the Canadian government funding an aid mission to Honduras involving a delegation of homeopaths claiming to cure Chagas disease and other infectious diseases.
Homeopathy: A Whole Lot Wackier Than You Might Think Read More »
The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People is written by Mel Collins, who describes herself as a counsellor, spiritual healer, and reiki master, as well as a highly sensitive person (HSP). The book begins with a description of the characteristics of HSPs. The author explains that they process emotions on a deeper level than others, and tend
Book Review: The Handbook for Highly Sensitive People Read More »
