DonnieYance.com - Master Herbalist and Certified Nutritionist

May 21, 2021March 8, 2022

What can Centenarians teach us about cholesterol levels and longevity – It isn’t what you think

“Medicine qua medicine comes into existence when it appropriates knowledge and skills, no matter what their origin, in order to further its healing purposes.” — Edmund Pellegrino

The world population is aging with a rapid increase in the very elderly aged 80 and up. Those who make it to 100 and beyond (centenarians) are considered an exceptional human model of healthy aging and extreme longevity.

In general, centenarians appear to escape—or at least significantly delay—the diseases of aging that normally cause mortality at earlier ages. In an attempt to understand why some people live well beyond what is currently considered to be the ‘normal’ lifespan, gerontologists have identified a variety of factors that centenarians share. These include not smoking, a healthy diet, regular exercise, avoidance of stress, family connectedness, and a positive attitude.

April 22, 2021March 8, 2022

Managing the Risk of Blood Clots and other Possible Side Effects of the Covid-19 Vaccines

“Nature is a totally efficient, self-regenerating system. If we discover the laws that govern this system and live synergistically within them, sustainability will follow and humankind will be a success. Synergy means behavior of whole systems unpredicted by the behavior of their parts.”
― Buckminster Fuller

Although there’s a current flurry of concern about the possible link between blood clots and the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, the reality is that there is a risk of potentially dangerous blood clots and/or platelet disorders with all of the vaccines that are being used for Covid-19.

April 14, 2021March 9, 2022

Understanding COVID-19 mRNA Vaccines and the Risk of Autoimmune Diseases

By Donald Yance

Vaccines against COVID-19 hold out the promise of a return to normal, pre-pandemic life. But with the race to create and distribute the vaccines, we need to consider that the mRNA vaccines, which consist of a new and revolutionary technology, have not been previously tested widely on humans.

Most of the vaccines that have been developed for COVID and other candidates in the portfolio of the COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access Facility (COVAX) are based on next-generation technologies that can be developed more quickly than previous conventional vaccines.^[1] The speedy development and distribution of the COVID vaccines is helping to stem the pandemic. But it’s important to recognize that all vaccines come with the risk of side effects, and there is much we have to learn about COVID vaccines and potential side effects.

March 31, 2021March 9, 2022

The Joy of Spring, Easter and Passover

Spring has arrived, the light has returned, and the trees and flowers bless us with their sweet aromas. But even in this season of hope, many people seem to be caught between joy and suffering. They describe feeling both hopeful and hopeless, or they describe an emotional numbness. Perhaps you’ve been feeling something similar.

I am sure you can think of a dozen circumstances in your life right now where it feels justifiable and natural to complain. But I challenge you to not go there. Instead, “Rejoice in the Lord always” (Philippians 4:4) and turn your attention to cultivating peace, joy and doing or giving to others.

March 25, 2021February 8, 2022

Psychosocial Vulnerabilities and COVID-19

Vaccines, masking, and social distancing appear to be slowing the spread of COVID-19. But the devastation wrought by the pandemic goes far beyond the physical illness caused by the disease. For many people, the psychological effects of the pandemic have been equally debilitating.

A Kaiser Health Tracking Poll^[1] from July 2020 found that many adults report difficulty sleeping (36%), problems eating (32%), increases in alcohol consumption or substance use (12%), and worsening chronic conditions (12%), including a weakened immune system caused by worry and stress over the coronavirus.^[2]

March 9, 2021March 9, 2022

The Role of Spirituality in Health Management

There is substantial evidence that spiritual well-being is an important determinant of overall health, longevity and quality of life, especially in patients with severe illness. But while most physicians would agree that spiritual well-being is an important factor in their patients’ health, the spiritual needs and well-being of patients are largely ignored and rarely addressed by healthcare providers.

I believe this is a significant oversight in patient care. Spirituality is perhaps the single most important source of strength and direction in life. When we incorporate spiritual well-being into healing, we recognize that people are not simply physical bodies requiring only mechanical fixing.