As we head into my favorite time of year, I find that life feels a little more mellow and calm. Perhaps it is the calm before the storm, but I'm going to enjoy it while it lasts as we wind down the end of this Celtic year and celebrate the start of then next on Halloween night.

Last month we took a look at the introverted brain, so we will give the extroverts equal time this month. Then we have a fun little article on how to protect yourself from those ever-more-sneaky GMOs in our food supply, followed by a tip of the hat to the biggest evolving change on our planet in 26,000 years and how it might affect our health and well-being. Last but not least, watch out for cholesterol drugs. They often cause a lot more harm than good. You'll find much better options below.

And that's it for October. Enjoy the frost on the pumpkin and the beautiful autumn leaves.

We all recognize the extroverts among us - the rock and rollers, speed racers, chatty neighbors, and party animals. Those are the extreme types. We each have our own unique balance of extroversion and introversion, and some extroverts are much less flamboyant than others. It is estimated that about three quarters of the population are extroverts, at least in America. My guess is that the Far East would tend to have more introverts than that, but I haven't seen any studies to verify that.

Here in the land of rugged individualism, extroverts rule - but what exactly IS an extrovert? According to geniusawakening.com, "An extrovert is, by design, someone who derives his or her energy from external sources, namely other people. [ ]

"The way we process reward, for example, is different for extroverts than it is for introverts. Our brains are stimulated in various regions, which then activate a response. Rewards essentially cause pleasure and can govern our behavior. It is typically dependent on how we’re motivated. Research has suggested that in the brain of an extrovert, rewards are typically derived on those things which deliver immediate gratification."

Then there is the dopamine effect we talked about last month. Extroverts seem to need more of it and more stimulation to create it. Hence their propensity to look for interactions with other people and activities that would wear the average introvert to a frazzle. Again from geniusawakening.com, "In as much as extroverts must seek out external stimulation because of the high tolerance for dopamine, so must the extrovert turn his or her attention outward to stimulate his senses as well."

It would appear that both types have been aptly named. The extrovert needs more EXternal stimulation, while the introvert produces more stimulation INternally.

My son and I were discussing how to eat at restaurants without getting GMOs in our food and we both compared it to navigating a minefield. Thanks a lot Monsanto! Eating out just became the new extreme sport.

Fortunately, Care2.com has come up with a good list of the top 20 culprits to avoid. It is creepy that there are more than 20 out there now, with more on the way.

I highly suggest reading the entire article for descriptions of how these ingredients slip onto our dinner plates, but here is the basic list to give you a heads up and trigger your interest. Of course, the best way to avoid all of them is to eat organic.

Dr. Hyman offers some really sensible information about cholesterol and how to handle it when you get that high test reading. From housecall.drhyman.com: "Here are some very simple treatments you can use. I find them very beneficial, and often, I see people getting better cholesterol [levels] off medication than on medication.

1. Cut out or dramatically reduce flour and sugar, because those are the things that turn on the cholesterol factory in your liver.
2. Eat the right fats—avocados, nuts, seeds, coconut butter, olive oil, and fish oil. These are the good fats that help balance your blood sugar, balance your insulin, and correct lipid problems.
3. Have protein for breakfast and at every meal (nuts, seeds, eggs, chicken, fish, grass-fed meats).
4. Exercise.
5. Manage your stress.
6. Take supplements to help balance the whole system."

Most doctors will tell you to cut out saturated fats, like coconut oil, that can actually help to lower cholesterol. And then they prescribe drugs that cause symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease and dementia, even though those drugs have been proven to be practically useless.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol, please read Dr. Hyman's article before going down the slippery slope of prescription drugs!