See, even the chemical symbol has a negative sign in it. Until the 1950s, fluoride was administered to those with hyperthyroidism to *suppress* thyroid function. But there are many other concerns around this toxic halogen.
If you have an autoimmune condition, you may experience more pronounced allergy symptoms. And in fact, allergies ARE a mild autoimmune reaction. Here are 11 solutions.
Glutathione is a powerful immune-boosting, cancer-fighting, autoimmunity-taming antioxidant that many experts are just coming around to fully understanding.
Giving your liver some gentle love will have a far-reaching and oh-so-positive impact on so many of the body’s systems. And given that so many of these systems work together, it’s truly a beneficial feed-forward cycle.
Vitamin A supplementation comes with risks, including toxicity that can cause alopecia. You won’t become toxic from Vitamin A in the diet, but it’s important to understand the difference between carotenoids and retinols, including how to convert into the bioactive form of Vitamin A.
Candida albicans (intestinal yeast) is a fungal organism that’s a normal and expected presence in our digestive environment. But problems arise—sometimes serious problems—when there’s an overpopulation of pathogenic yeast and it becomes opportunistic.
Despite what you may have heard, cleansing yeast does NOT need to be difficult. And it doesn’t have to take months. Here’s my straightforward protocol for both testing and clearing candida.
My health coaching practice is changing and kind of not changing at the same time. I still have the same goal, which is serving vs. pleasing. Because any practitioner using outdated protocols for solutions to new problems is missing the mark by a country mile.
Autoimmunity is one disease. When you turn your attention to the root of the imbalance—a hypervigilant, overactive immune system—any and all manifestations of autoimmunity can be addressed.
Our lymphatic system plays a critical role in immune health, is a major factor in our ability to detoxify, and helps to keep us in an anti-inflammatory state. If this weren’t enough, it also impacts the health of our thyroid and hair follicles—it may be one of the factors in reversing alopecia and Hashimoto’s.
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroidism) are often thought of as a women’s health issue, but we cannot neglect the fact that many males also suffer from this life-altering condition. In fact, Hashimoto’s is on the rise for men and has been for a number of years.
There’s a commonly-found endocrine disruptor that’s one of the biggest thyroid offenders—bromine. And when I say “commonly-found,” I do mean common.
We’ve all heard the advice that a getting a good night’s sleep is critical for good health. Indeed, it is. Sometimes that’s easier said than done, right? And can we get a good night’s rest even in the face of stress? Yes!
Nuts and seeds provide a healthful combination of essential fats, protein, and fiber all contained in a nutrient-dense package. This post will teach you how to soak them for optimal digestibility and how to toast for flavor enhancement. Temperature matters!
The importance of fiber in the diet is indisputable and has a profound impact on our digestive health and microbiome, our 100 trillion organism-strong “mini ecosystem.” Most Americans are fiber deficient—some experts in the functional medicine community claim that it’s the most clinically important dietary deficiency.
For those with hypothyroidism, carbohydrates are critical. I’ve seen too many people crash and burn on a low-carb diet—and lose a ton of hair.
Does quercetin slow thyroid function? Or does it support the thyroid? What about the hair growth claims? And does it work better than Zyrtec?
Desiderata means “things that are desired.”
Take a peek at what a seasoned culinary nutritionist and best selling cookbook author is serving this Christmas Eve.
Low iron—and more specifically, low ferritin (iron storage protein)—is common in the hypothyroid / Hashimoto’s and also hair loss / alopecia communities. Let’s look at this root cause contributor, including issues people can have with absorption.
I’m doing some things differently with my alopecia group coaching program. And if you suffer from hair loss…of any pattern…I hope that you’ll consider taking this new journey with me.
It starts out “innocently” enough. You’re feeling fatigued, but you chalk it up to the demands of life. You’re feeling down, but you tell yourself that we can all get down when we’re tired. Then, there’s a spare tire around your middle. You can’t poop. You get chilled more easily. And you’re shedding hair.
The hormones that are most commonly associated with hair loss are the androgens (DHEA, testosterone, and DHT) and thyroid (hypothyroidism). There are others that are equally important, like cortisol, and another is prolactin, which rarely gets the attention it deserves.
While we understand the desire for a label or “official” diagnosis, it makes me scratch my head (no pun intended) that providers offer scalp biopsies because while they claim that they’ll help to determine an “accurate diagnosis,” they rarely change their treatment plan based on the results.
The medical matrix was developed to save you from the horror of being human. If you’re a machine, you can trust the experts to “fix” you and then you don’t have to get into all that “emotional human stuff.” That would be great if it worked.
The FDA just approved the sixth iteration of JAK (Janus kinase) inhibitors for alopecia. But just because it’s newly approved doesn’t mean it’s great because none of the JAK inhibitors are great. In fact, the FDA has also issued a black box warning.
I’ve traveled this complicated path of undiagnosed autoimmune hypothyroidism and depression that was, perhaps, misdiagnosed. And as I look back over the last 20 years through a different lens, I see that I identify with all of these underlying issues that led to the overly simplistic diagnosis of “depression.”
If you’re experiencing weight gain, sleep disturbance, brain fog, anxiety, exhaustion, forgetfulness, relationship issues, loss of libido, or lack of motivation, would it surprise you to know that these symptoms are present in both depression and hypothyroidism?
Low hydrochloric acid is pretty chronic in the alopecia community. It has a far-reaching impact on our overall health—with two specific relationships that are also chronic for many experiencing hair loss.
Has your dermatologist, endocrinologist, or primary care physician (or chiropractor or energy worker or massage therapist) told you, “You’re just stressed?” Well, I have a few things to say about that.
While optimizing thyroid hormones is a worthy effort, one missing piece of the conversation is often thyroid hormone conversion.
I’ve been listening hard about COVID-19 in America. But what I am coming to realize is controversial and contradictory. It’s becoming increasingly clear that, however well intentioned, our public health authorities—both on the federal and the state level—are failing us.
Alopecia is multi-factorial. And it’s an inside job. And in my experience, in the context of autoimmune conditions, there are two things that make alopecia an outlier.
I love teaching my Reversing Alopecia course. Here are testimonials from my 2020 participants.
I’ve been closely following the news stories and the scientific literature about coronavirus. There’s so much we still don’t know—and there are many reasons to be skeptical. Question everything. Do the research for yourself.
“The most fundamental aggression to ourselves, the most fundamental harm we can do to ourselves, is to remain ignorant by not having the courage and the respect to look at ourselves honestly and gently.”—Pema Chodron
There’s a significant neurological force than can make change challenging. It’s called The Habit Loop. But the good news is that we can flip The Habit Loop on its head and get it to work in our favor.
Eggs, while a “nutritionally complete food” and breakfast staple, can be a nutritional troublemaker for some. Use your taste preferences and intuition to experiment with these substitutes—and I bet you won’t miss the egg.
For years, when I made my New Year’s resolutions, I just stated the goals and that was that. I believed that if I had enough willpower, I’d accomplish the goal and when I didn’t, I felt as if I’d failed. I guess I did fail, but I wasn’t a failure. I needed a better understanding of the process of change.
Chili has always been a quick go-to one-pot meal and this chili is no exception. I varied it a bit from traditional chili by using organic ground turkey and gave it a rich, deep flavor with the smoked paprika and chipotle chili powder.
As you establish goals, keep in mind that as your health improves, your brain and mood will most certainly improve, meaning that discipline, consistency, and motivation will become so much easier. That positive, feed-forward cycle!
How we’ve been misled about the “anti-vaxx” movement and why medical freedom matters…
How we’ve been misled about the “anti-vaxx” movement and why medical freedom matters…
Continue…to dare to love deeply and risk everything for the good thing…
I’m giving away 40 copies of my #1 best selling Essential Thyroid Cookbook in exchange for completing a survey, the results of which will impact future generations.
I’d been gaining for a few months, little by little, and ended up having to buy new jeans. And then much to my astonishment, this happened.
“Faux science?” How about “thinking and linking” instead of “naming and blaming?”
Making quick pickled vegetables is a whole lot easier than you might think, plus it’s a great way to preserve and extend the harvest.
Research has shown a 25 percent risk reduction in cognitive decline in persons with higher levels of Vitamin D. Here’s how to know if you’re getting enough, including the best sources.
Here are stories of some of the incredible improvements seen by my Reversing Alopecia course participants, many of whom had been previously baffled and scared and whose conventional heathcare providers had said “this is untreatable.”
There comes a time in many women’s lives where they ask themselves, “Is this perimenopause? Or is it my thyroid? Or maybe both?”
While many factors play a role in cognitive decline, hormones affect everything, especially our brains. This post highlights just how important our hormones are to our emotional and cognitive health.
When I tell people that my favorite pie is gooseberry, they look at me like I have three heads. They either don’t know what gooseberries are or they scrunch their noses and say, “Aren’t those TART?” Yes, they are!
Elevated homocysteine is an important contributor to Alzheimer’s disease. Additionally, it’s a factor in cardiovascular disease, stroke, and even some cancers. It sounds like having an optimal homocysteine level is a good idea.
Here are some specific—and often unknown—factors to consider for female pattern baldness (FPB), aka the androgenic hair loss pattern. There’s much more to it than you’ve likely been told.
This dynamic duo is perfect for spring and were crafted with all of the same love, care, and attention to thyroid- and immune-supportive nutrients as the recipes in our best selling Essential Thyroid Cookbook.
“Isn’t forgetfulness just my brain being full? Isn’t my brain just tired? Memory loss is normal right? Isn’t it a part of aging?” Functional medicine experts would answer loudly and clearly, “NO!”
It started early. The harm wasn’t intentional. We just didn’t know any better. Here’s my story of reversing my cognitive decline.
Many take biotin supplementation for hair loss/alopecia. But beware, it’s been shown to seriously skew thyroid lab values.
Here’s what happened when I cross-referenced the supportive nutrients listed in my Hair Loss ebook and those in a peer-reviewed, international, open access dermatological journal.
Vitamin D deficiency is linked to many degenerative conditions. Here are some factors that can negatively impact Vitamin D utilization.
Many people have asked me something like, “Okay, I get that you were nearly half bald and you grew your hair back, but have you *kept* your hair?” I’m pleased to say yes.
This salad is a beautiful combination of complex carbs, essential fatty acids, and protein as well as the thyroid- and immune-supportive micronutrients magnesium, B vitamins, and Vitamin C.
Pumpkin provides an exceptional source of thyroid- and immune-supportive carotenoids (pre-cursors to Vitamin A) and to make things easy, you can use leftover Thanksgiving turkey.
Making your own homemade cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving is incredibly easy.
As we continue our transition into the colder months ahead, we can draw warmth and nourishment from the abundance of autumn foods.
Hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s (autoimmune hypothyroidism) are often thought of as a women’s health issue, but we cannot forget that males can suffer, too. In fact, Hashimoto’s is on the rise for men.
This post is part personal story, part exciting announcement. Dr. Anna was who I called on when I started “crossing over to the other side.” Now we work together as referral partners.
My wonderful Reversing Alopecia Masterclass Series participants asked for a bibliography of my favorite wellness / hormone / autoimmunity books. I was thrilled to put this list together.
If you have diffuse thinning/all over scalp loss, it doesn’t mean you don’t have alopecia.
I had no hair on 1/3 of my scalp for quite some time—and was losing more. Today, with no drug, hormone, or pharmaceutical use, I have a nearly full head of thick hair. And I plan to keep it all.
Here are two whole food popsicle recipes: Watermelon Blueberry Fruit Pops + Cherry Apricot Yogurt Pops. YUM!
This fresh and fruity dessert appeals to kids of all ages and is great to take to summertime cookouts, picnics, and parties.
This vibrant salad brings all the fresh, crunchy, juicy, and bright flavors you want and all the colorful, disease-fighting antioxidants you need.
A widespread misconception about peri/menopause is that weight gain, hot flashes, night sweats, forgetfulness, and mood swings are normal. Just because they’re common doesn’t mean they’re normal.
We don’t believe in the ill-fated concept of “unexplained infertility.” As Dr. Randine Lewis says, “…‘infertility’ is often a fallacy.”
PCOS is largely underdiagnosed and affects up to 10 percent of women of childbearing age. Fortunately, it’s often temporary—it responds well to natural dietary and lifestyle strategies.
This crowd-pleasing twist on hummus incorporates fresh basil for delicious flavor. Basil is an great source of antioxidant polyphenols known to reduce inflammation.
Pain is always the signal. And you have to go into any health goal with the mindset that nothing is impossible, nothing out of your reach.
Making healthy changes in the kitchen may stretch your pocketbook, but in the long run the savings can really add up if you follow these tips.
The nervous system of an empathic person may operate differently and they can run a high risk of burnout and increased physical and emotional health concerns. If you’re highly sensitive, here’s how to protect yourself and your wellbeing.
This is a fantastic post by our friend and colleague, Andrea Wool. Andrea is a personal trainer and Hashimoto’s warrior and now shares her message of strength and empowerment with women worldwide.
Cold, dry winter months can wreak havoc on skin health, especially if you have hypothyroidism. But with these simple strategies, I’ve seen “problem skin” resolve in a matter of a few days.
There are many ways to lose weight without deprivation and restriction. But is a ketogenic diet recommended for those with Hashimoto’s?
We found this beautiful winter solstice poem on the newsletter of the inimitable Mel Joulwan.
Whether you’re suffering yourself or you’re a friend or family member of someone with chronic illness, these tips will be helpful in understanding how you can ask for support or be supported.
There’s something for everyone on this list. You’ll find a variety of items at various price points to meet most any budget!
The 5R approach is a straightforward program for healing the gut and promoting optimal digestion and nutrient assimilation, boosting good gut bacteria, and detoxing. And it’s not as difficult as it sounds!
Here are some tried and true recipes that may be a great addition to your Thanksgiving meal planning!
Having a food sensitivity or intolerance doesn’t mean that you can never eat your favorite foods. With just a little know-how, you can whip up most any recipe with delicious and health-giving swaps. Here’s how to do it.
You don’t hear much about PREbiotics, the non-digestible fibers in certain foods that enhance the microbiome by fertilizing the colonization of healthy bacteria. Learn how they work synergistically with probiotics for healthy gut function.
In a recent interview, Lisa and I got taken to task by Dr. John Douillard about gluten and Hashimoto’s. He is the author of Eat Wheat, after all.
Lisa and I are so grateful to these amazing health coaches who went above and beyond to help make The Essential Thyroid Cookbook a best seller in no less than five categories. They’re doing amazing work in the world and we can’t wait for you to know about them.
Here’s the second installment of feedback and early reader reviews from our wonderful team of Essential Thyroid Cookbook Ambassadors—those who’d received an advance copy of our cookbook.
As we transition to the milder autumn days and cooler nights, I’m feeling inspired to cook with what’s in season and I’m gravitating towards one-pot recipes. This time of year, our bodies can stay balanced and satisfied by incorporating more warming and grounding foods: root vegetables, winter squash, sweet potatoes, and beans.
There are four overarching (and important) questions that we’ve been getting related to our Essential Thyroid Cookbook – all related to Hashimoto’s and autoimmunity prevention and management. We address all of them in this post, including…what if someone has had a thyroidectomy?
This is truly one of the only detoxes I’ve ever gotten excited about – it’s a whole body, whole life program.
Many people have asked what happens “behind the scenes” in making a cookbook. Here, I share a bit about how these recipes came to be…my creation and testing process.
Here’s a little bit about how Lilah Rose became my little miracle in hopes that my personal story may offer a glimmer of hope to any of you struggling with similar health issues.
Check out our first installment of Essential Thyroid Cookbook feedback from our lovely and enthusiastic team of Ambassadors.
Here’s what you need to know about a full thyroid panel, including a one-click cheat sheet that you can print and use the next time you’re getting your thyroid tested.
Batch cooking (aka meal prepping or cooking in bulk) is a great solution that can help lessen the conundrum of “what’s for dinner?”
“The butterfly gland” sits in the chakra of truth and expression. As the pub date for our cookbook gets closer, this post is a weaving of three short stories that have allowed Lisa and me to come full circle and be fully expressed with this journey.
Leafy greens are the #1 food we should be eating on a regular basis – as in every day. But they’re undoubtedly the food most missing in our modern diets. So, what gives?
One of the most common concerns that I hear from parents is, “How can I get my child to eat healthier?” Here are 10 ways parents (and other caretakers) can help shape healthy food preferences in children.
As the Skin Horse says in The Velveteen Rabbit, “…most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby.” That’s what I’ve felt like lately. But I’m real.
The summer sun is in full effect and while covering up or slathering on sunscreen may offer the best protection against sunburn, did you know that eating the right foods can also help to protect your skin from the sun’s damaging rays from the inside out?
For those of us looking for a healthier and lighter alternative for the grill, fish is unbeatable and a welcome departure from the familiar. This post includes a guide to making mouthwatering marinades.
Here’s some of the praise we’ve received about The Essential Thyroid Cookbook – humbling feedback from some of our highly esteemed colleagues and idols in the health, wellness, and culinary fields.
Here’s a summary of our process in how we chose ingredients for The Essential Thyroid Cookbook. It will leave no doubt in your mind that Lisa’s recipes provide you with the best nutritional bang for your buck!
Many have asked, “How did you guys meet? You didn’t go to the same nutrition school and you live in different cities – how did this partnership in creating The Essential Thyroid Cookbook come about?”
Culinary Nutritionist Lisa Markley, MS, RDN, is the co-author of The Essential Thyroid Cookbook. She has also suffered from Hashimoto’s and opens up about her personal journey.
People often think my religious fervor for functional medicine means that I reject the allopathic (conventional) model. Far from it.
I wasn’t going to write about this recent change in publishing plans for my Essential Thyroid Cookbook (don’t worry, it doesn’t change our pub date!) because I didn’t think people would really care that much. I was wrong.
My client, Kim, wasn’t happy with me. She wasn’t happy in general, because of what she was experiencing in our program together. In fact, she was angry…
Most of our clients have asked their prior practitioners, “Why do I still feel so badly when I’m doing everything ‘right?’” To which they often hear, “I dunno, you’re a tough nut to crack.” Here are my theories on why this is so prevalent…
Today’s post is about something near and dear to my heart — and to the hearts of many of my friends and colleagues. It’s no exaggeration that this could be the start of a revolution.
In writing one of the chapters of my upcoming Essential Thyroid Cookbook, I thought, “We may be committing professional suicide here…”
Spring has sprung and Lisa and I are also in a “new season” with our cookbook production. And we have a spring-y recipe to share…
Here’s my “secret weapon” of health advice. It’s the one practice that never fails, is always available, and is shockingly inexpensive (though what you gain by doing it is priceless).
Here’s a recipe for my fast and easy nut milk, including my “Leave No Trace” chocolate truffles recipe that uses every single part of the almond (the curd from the milk-making). It’s so easy!
Jill recently wrote about a dangerous trend — how “they” post lab results online and look for answers outside of a professional relationship with a qualified practitioner. Today, I use myself as an example because “they” is me!
This is something that I’ve wanted to write about for a while, but I’ve been sitting on my hands about it. It’s serious stuff.
With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, if you’re looking for something uplifting, inspiring, and empowering to give yourself or someone you love (I think we can all use a bit of this right now @*#?%#), look no further.
Wait, I’ve got what? Whether you’re newly diagnosed or Hashimoto’s is an old friend, the language of thyroid health and immune system function can feel opaque and technical. Let’s break it down…
Dr. Aviva Romm truly brings one of the most unique perspectives to women’s health we’ve seen. And that perspective is powerfully reflected in her new book, The Adrenal Thyroid Revolution.
Lisa and I have been working hard to nail down a publishing date, working intensely with our distribution, project, and marketing managers to determine the best time to launch. And the date is…
Here are some things you may have heard about autoimmunity (or hormone health or any other condition) — and what’s actually going on behind the scenes.
Here’s the latest update on the publication of The Essential Thyroid Cookbook.
‘Tis the season of love and joy — and holiday promotional emails. Here’s our own very special holiday promotion…of a beautiful poem about letting go.
No matter what your goals are this holiday season — whether to maintain a full immune modulating protocol or to just eat less sugar than last year — there are smart strategies you can use to stay on track without sacrificing holiday fun.
Being in a constant state of want and feeling inadequate creates stress and anxiety, which not only wears us down psychologically, but also lowers immune function.
Many with alopecia, especially those with long-term baldness, have lost hope. They’ve “tried everything.” Many have invested thousands of dollars in pills, potions, creams, shots, wigs, and empty promises. I’m here to tell you that there is hope.
Diabetes, low thyroid function, adrenal burnout, and extra weight comes with age, the doctors say. Just get used to it. That is Just. Plain. Wrong.
Here are some of our most frequently asked questions – some big and some small – and their important, sometimes unexpected answers.
Here are three soothing – and simple – ways to help keep your hormones and immune system in check.
When it comes to managing autoimmunity, details matter, of course, but when our focus gets too narrow, we can lose sight of the forest for the trees.
“Why should I invest in working with a health coach when I can find a lot of this information online?” It’s a good question. Why not just use the free ‘School of Google’ to tackle the problem?
The nutritional benefits of legumes are too far-reaching to ignore. In moderation, legumes and beans can be part of a healing diet, even for those with autoimmunity.
I mostly wept my way through writing this update. And I can now say, with confidence, our cookbook is coming – pretty soon.
We now know that ditching gluten can help resolve the painful symptoms of endometriosis. When the most common treatment is surgery and giving up gluten is profoundly less invasive, the question becomes: why not try ditching gluten?
Avoiding sugar seems straightforward until you realize how foods that aren’t labeled “sugar” can act like sugar in the body. But you don’t have to give up sugar for good.
Our programs aren’t “weight loss programs,” but our clients typically lose weight. Why? Because we work with people to improve their health, which typically results in…weight loss.
I’ve chalked this quality in myself up to quirkiness. Or introversion. Realizing that it is a message from my adrenals was a big wake-up call.
Are grains categorically bad for everyone with autoimmunity? New research is showing that true whole grains, when prepared properly, improve the health of our gut microbiome. Yes, this flies in the face of everything we’ve been told.
Positivity, such as joy, enthusiasm, excitement, serenity, gratitude, inspiration, love, interest, and pride, brings about what Dr. Barbara Fredrickson calls an “upward spiral of lifestyle change.” And lifestyle change is what’s required for managing ANY chronic health condition.
Only one in six people who are overweight report maintaining a 10 percent weight loss for at least a year after a calorie-restrictive, hunger-inducing diet. But there’s good news – there’s a process that involves losing weight WITHOUT being hungry all the time.
I enjoy pulling the veil back on the coaching process, but I also like writing about it because it reminds me not to always default into “expert + explainer” mode, especially when a client says they want to dive into a pack of Oreos.
There’s an emerging awareness that endometriosis is caused or exacerbated (or both) by an autoimmune attack on the body.
As individuals and as a culture, we’ve been told that caving into nutritionally bankrupt food is about lack of willpower, personal weakness, moral failing, and a deep lack of self-respect. NONE of this is true.
A lot of magic and serendipity has come about to bring me to this new place with my work. I’m going to prove that anyone with alopecia has the opportunity to regrow hair.
Mismanaged blood sugar fuels a shocking number of hormonal complaints that range from big to small. Here’s a partial list of what happens with sugar and your hormones.
Is the AIP (autoimmune protocol) diet the answer for EVERYONE with autoimmunity? I question…
What’s an otherwise healthy woman in her early 40s supposed to think when she hasn’t cycled in over year? Is it always “early menopause?” I don’t think so…
There’s a recurring theme in my practice that’s very heightened right now. Many of my clients are experiencing some hair-raising (and temporary) symptoms *because* of their healing, not in spite of it.
I knew this update was coming, I just had to be patient. It’s the story of how my client went from being bald to growing a head of hair via immune modulation.
I’m always open to signs. They’re everywhere, if you’re open to listening and receiving. And some recent signs may have me largely changing the focus of my practice.
I’ve had alopecia (autoimmune hair loss), off and on, for nearly 35 years. And alopecia can be late to the party when it comes to healing the immune system.
To the surprise of many, I’m not anti-coffee. But most coffeemakers are toxic. And those toxins are ending up in your cup and disrupting your hormones. I have the solution.
In the words of the great Jon Stewart, “Bullshit is everywhere.” Especially when it comes to diet and nutrition.
You’ve likely heard about the powerful healing properties of bone broth. Everyone is talking about it – and for good reason. But there’s a different type of broth that can significantly boost thyroid function.
Antibacterial products are overkill. And they’re harming us.
Having a healthy balance of good bacteria helps prevent chronic and degenerative diseases, improves digestion, possesses anti-cancer and immune boosting properties, and controls inflammation. For anything that ails you, consider that the health of your gut may be one of the keys to feeling better.
Let’s talk about dairy and why it’s worth it for you to investigate whether it’s doing your body good or harm.
Dr. Carrie Getzmier is our new and “official” Functional Medicine Advisor. She plays a “behind the scenes” role at Healthful Elements as our sounding board, consultant, and…advisor. I’ve dubbed her “the wizard.”
Did you make any New Year Resolutions? Perhaps about exercise or losing weight? Learn from my mistakes to ensure that your tactics won’t be counterproductive to your health.
It’s December, which means we’re in the thick of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. Here’s my first VIDEO Health Hinge, where I share my favorite tips for slaying holiday stress.
Being healthier doesn’t have to mean a complete overhaul of your diet – or cost an arm and a leg. Sometimes a simple upgrade can make a lot of difference!
If you’re looking for something to do with that leftover turkey, look no further.
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is almost here? Here’s what I’m planning for my holiday dinner.
If selenium is “the thyroid triple play,” then surely zinc is “the thyroid quad play” when it comes to supporting thyroid hormone production.
Conventionally, cholesterol is often discussed in terms of being “high.” But is it possible for cholesterol levels to be too low? The short answer is yes and it has big implications for our hormones.
If iodine is “the big daddy” thyroid mineral, then selenium is surely “the big mama.” I’ve dubbed it “the thyroid triple play.”
When people think eggs, they often think cholesterol; then they think heart disease. But cholesterol is a necessary component of every cell in your body. Let’s get to the bottom of it.
The trappings of modern life are inundating our bodies with toxins and confusing our immune systems, leading to autoimmunity. It’s a sobering thought, but rest assured, it’s not all doom and gloom.
You want the healthiest eggs, right? But all of the different eco-labeling can make things confusing. Here’s a guide on how to read egg labels.
Manganese. You just don’t hear a lot about it. The term is derived from the Greek word for “magic” and indeed, the ancient Greeks regarded manganese as having magical powers.
Eggs have been referred to as “the perfect food.” But they’re also one of the top triggers for those with food sensitivities. Let’s dig into both sides of the story.
Magnesium has been nicknamed “the miracle mineral.” It’s even been called a panacea. And it’s another mineral that’s “absolutely essential” for healthy thyroid function.
It’s fall and squash is everywhere: butternut, buttercup, delicata, acorn, pumpkin. So how about some squash pancakes?
Should you supplement with iodine? Here’s Part 2 of my take on the hotly-debated iodine controversy.
You are what you eat eats. When you take animals out of their natural habitat and feed them food they’re not meant to eat, there are negative consequences for them – and us.
Nary have I found a more wildly-challenged and wildly-supported health topic than whether those with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s should supplement with – or heck, even eat foods rich in – iodine. Let’s break it down…
Many of the things that we now need to consider for optimal health are new because our environment has changed. Case in point: the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio.
It’s common for those with hypothyroidism to be low in iron; low iron inhibits the ability to produce adequate thyroid hormones and interferes with thyroid hormone synthesis.
Yeah, yeah, yeah – Starbucks replaced their synthetic pumpkin syrup with real pumpkin puree. But keep going, Starbucks, because you’re not quite there yet. Here’s a recipe for a healthful alternative.
Copper is “crucial” to thyroid function. But many with low thyroid function find themselves with copper overload, which can have serious health implications.
One of the cornerstones of an anti-inflammatory diet is eating the right fats and using them properly. Here’s a guide on how to use fats and oils for optimal health.
Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. And according to Dr. Richard Shames, calcium is “absolutely essential” for proper thyroid function.
Fat isn’t the bad guy. In fact, incorporating more fat into your diet may help alleviate pain, help you shed weight, keep your hormones balanced, and keep you full and happy.
Did you know that your body is comprised largely of the same minerals that the earth is made from? And that for optimal thyroid health, you should focus more on minerals than vitamins?
We spend one third of our lives in bed and most commercial mattresses contain toxic flame retardants. This is a problem. A big problem. And it has implications for your thyroid health.
No, this isn’t a post about exercise. It’s about deodorant. I don’t wear any. Want to know why?
Are you shocked? Gasping in horror? Like, “How could you? What kind of a nutrition coach are you?”
It’s difficult to imagine life without some of your favorite foods. But it’s important to find delicious alternatives to help distract you from what you may be giving up, especially when there’s an emotional connection. For instance, birthday cakes!
Food sensitivities cause silent, hidden inflammation within your body. And remember, inflammation is the foundation for chronic, degenerative disease.
Your questions, answered. In this post: fluoride, chlorine, and your thyroid; candida/yeast testing; and healthful snacks.
If you’re having a difficult time getting in a workout (or getting up off of the couch), I have a quick – and FUN – way to get started. I have a history of exercising and it took me by surprise…
Your questions, answered. In this post: general hormone testing, to soy or not to soy, and my favorite pantry staples.
My Health Hinges series is halfway complete! Now is a great time see how you’re doing. Are you happy with your progress? If so, great! What has moved the needle for you? Let’s check in.
It was my husband, in the kitchen, with the toast…
Our life-changing Restore Your Adrenals teleclass series begins on July 23. You can participate from anywhere, at any time.
Many of my clients have said, “I want to eat better, but I just don’t know what to make.” I get it. This recipe comes with my stamp of approval and it’s delicious, anti-inflammatory, and easy to make.
Does resting, being still, clearing your mind of the clutter, and tuning into what’s really important sound good to you? Well, put down that smartphone, my friends, because you’re in luck.
I used to suffer from digestive issues, weight gain and weight loss resistance, shingles, infertility, and more. Here’s how I changed my game from whack-a-mole to skee ball and changed my outcomes.
Here is our Restore Your Adrenals “chapbook” – 25 considerations and suggestions for helping you feel more calm, grounded, and in control of your life.
As with many things in life, everything makes sense through the rear view mirror. I never considered that the root cause of my symptoms was my diet or lifestyle…I chalked it up to genetics, getting older, or just being “normal.” Then some bigger things happened that I couldn’t ignore.
Are you a member of the cult of accomplishment? Free yourself. Nothing good ever came out of a cult.
“If you don’t make time for wellness, you’ll be forced to make time for illness.”
The current generation of US children is likely to be sicker and die younger than their parents. Inspiring them to cook will build a foundation of healthful habits that will keep them safe, happy, and well.
Metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance are major risk factors for two of the leading causes of death in the U.S.– heart disease and diabetes. What does this have to do with the thyroid? A lot.
It never crossed my mind that a skin care product sold in the U.S. could be toxic. I then learned that there hasn’t been a federal law passed governing the personal care industry in the U.S. since 1938 – 77 years ago!
Your questions, answered. In this post: adrenal health, grazing vs. meals, and cookware.
Here are three refreshing and light variations of sweet potatoes. They’re easy to make, packed with nutrients, anti-inflammatory, and super delicious!
Here are 31 considerations and suggestions (nutritional, lifestyle, supplemental) for helping you manage PCOS.
Have you been doing “all of the right things” but are having a hard time meeting your health goals? Maybe it’s time to dig deeper and uncover your root cause.
Science has shown us how repeating self-defeating, mean, negative thoughts about ourselves keeps us stuck in the stress response and increases likelihood of autoimmune disease.
Inflammation is a predecessor to many degenerative diseases, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s, autoimmunity (including Hashimoto’s), and diabetes.
A healthy digestive system is foundational to overall health. Here are some tips to keep your trains running on time.
Poop. It may be an awkward topic to discuss, but our poop is one of the best diagnostic tools that we have available to understand the health of our digestive system.
The most delicious fruits and vegetables will take center stage in the coming months. Are you ready?
Here’s an updated post, with photos, of our Oct. 2014 story about Rachel, who had total scalp loss before working with us.
This magical elixir can help heal your gut, boost your immunity, fight inflammation, help you sleep, and give you luxurious hair, skin, and nails.
Buying all organic produce can be expensive; this guide can help you make trade-off choices while staying within your budget.
This ridiculously simple breath exercise is one of the single best things you can do to tame your monkey mind, find your center, tame those hypervigilant adrenals, and feel like a calm has washed over you. It’s so easy, you can do it behind the wheel of a car.
How about we make a deal that nothing is off limits? Keep eating your favorite foods, as long as you also agree to add in some new, healthful foods…the crowding out concept.
Sometimes you have to take shortcuts in order to juggle it all. Here are some of the hacks that I turn to when life happens and I just don’t have the time to shop or cook.
What percentage of your meals are cooked at home? How can you take a small step to upgrade your choices, even if for only one or two meals per week?
“Exercising with fatigue or low thyroid function is about progressing slowly, making the movements work for you (not the other way around), listening to your body, and not adding unnecessary stress to your system.” - Jen Sinkler
“How do I find the best animal products? What questions should I be asking?” Farmer Jack McCann answers these questions and mentions the implications for your endocrine/hormonal system, including thyroid and reproductive.
Even when mornings are crazy, preparing a nutritious breakfast is THAT worth it. Check out this make-ahead morning meal.
Here are 28 misconceptions, considerations, and suggestions for helping you ease into peri/menopause. (It’s never too early to start thinking about it.)
Sugar is addictive, and it’s been put into processed food to keep you addicted. You’ll be more successful reducing your sugar intake if you understand more about what it does to your body and why it’s got a hold on you.
Excess sugar is detrimental to your health. Are you surprised? Of course not.
Chewing sends signals to your stomach, intestines, and pancreas that the digestion process has begun, helping to maximize the absorption of nutrients from our food. Conversely, if food is not properly broken down, it can remain undigested and cause gas, bloating, bacteria overgrowth, and other digestive problems.
A substantive breakfast helps set your mood, energy level, and metabolic rate for the day. And can help you lose weight. For real.
Maintaining stable blood sugar is a key component to thyroid and adrenal health.
Being healthy is more than just eating well. Be mindful of how you treat yourself. Embrace your imperfections. You may be the only one who notices or cares about your so-called shortcomings.
“When you improve a little each day, eventually big things occur. Don’t look for the big, quick improvement. Seek the small improvement one day at a time. That’s the only way it happens – and when it happens, it lasts.”
Here are 20 suggestions for what NOT to do when you have (or think you have) Hashimoto’s.
Vitamin A and its carotenoid precursors play a critical role in immunity and become increasingly important for those with Hashimoto’s. Yummy recipe included!
Tending to your immune system is like tending to a child – tuning in to what she needs to grow and continue to be strong.
The more you focus on those you’re with and the meaning of the day, the less you’ll be freaking out about putting on the weight that you probably won’t gain anyway.
If we’re not cooking, we’re not only losing our physical health, but we’re losing our center – that primal need to give and receive love, to connect, to feel rooted in something so fundamental that without it we are never really whole.
Stress is one of the proven triggers for Hashimoto’s. Slay your stress with some ridiculously simple forms of meditation.
If you’ve suffered from hair loss (even if you don’t have a history of balding), this is a must-read.
Stomach acid is important. Really important. Our digestive system isn’t meant to be a watery pool, it’s meant to be highly acidic so that we can thoroughly break down food and absorb nutrients.
Do you have Hashimoto’s because it’s “in your genes?” Research has found that genetics has only a 20-30% influence on the development of disease.
If you’ve found yourself anxious about your weight, consider taking a break from your scale. Focus on behaviors and lifestyle changes, not fickle numbers.
Welcome to the reinvention of Healthful Elements: a brand new website, new coaches (new to Healthful Elements, anyway), and a broader and deeper practice. We still have our core practice areas – hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s / autoimmunity, and adrenal dysfunction. But it had been my dream to expand beyond what I can offer as a sole coach and things started taking on a life of their own a few months ago. So I went with it. And here we are.
Health coaches are garnering an increasing amount of attention and help fill in the gaps between what the healthcare industry traditionally provides and what many people need.
Water is nature’s most important nutrient. Without it, no living being can survive. Are you staying well-hydrated? Fluid intake doesn’t have to be bland or boring and doesn’t have to come solely from water.
Although low blood sugar can cause short-term concerns for many of us, consistently high blood sugar poses serious, long-term risks, especially for those with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or those with a history of extreme stress.
It’s high time for a thyroid cookbook update. First, a short story, then, a short list of where Lisa and I are with our process.
I get excited about others’ work and what they’re courageously putting out into the world, especially when they’re doing it in an authentic and accessible way. Allow me to introduce four people whose exemplary work deserves your attention. I’m honored to call them my friends.
Some of the highest-octane fuel we can ingest is a nutritious, balanced breakfast. “No time,” you say? “I might gain weight,” you fret? “I don’t like breakfast foods,” you claim? Herein I will render you excuseless!
It’s ‘bout time that we gave you a juicy update on our Fire Your Thyroid Cookbook (our working title). While Lisa and I have been hard at work on our labor of love, we feel that things have recently coalesced to a point that we’re able to share a worthy summary of our progress.
When people learn that I’ve lost weight, they always ask how I did it. The fact is, I don’t exactly know.
Leafy greens are chock full of vitamins, minerals, and disease-fighting phytochemicals. Yet sadly, they’re the food most missing in our diets. Find out how to get more of the greens that really pack a punch.
At the risk of y’all thinking I’m a flipper flopper, after this post, it’s the end of the road for The Roundup…again. Or maybe I should say, we’ll see you in yonder pastures. Mary and I will pick it up again when things slow down ‘round here. We’ve got a cookbook to write, programs to create, and we’re generally rockin’ and rollin’ on how to serve you better.
I try to get these published every week. I swear, I do. :)
“Excess on occasion is exhilarating. It prevents moderation from acquiring the deadening effect of a habit.” – W. Somerset Maugham (via my friend Mark Schneider)
“’Kids’ food’ is a marketing concept created by multinational food conglomerates to sell processed crap. There’s no reason kids should eat differently than adults.” – Chris Kresser
Here’s a buncha juicy stuff from the last couple of weeks. Hey Midwesterners, STAY COOL this weekend!
“Always hold on to the truth. Don’t let others sway your heart. Don’t compromise yourself for the sake of temporal groovyness. Be separate from the crowd that’s awash with normality by standing on a firm foundation.” John Fluevog (I got me a new pair of Fluevogs this week!)
Here’s what Mary and I rounded up for you this week. Have a relaxing weekend!
“I try to be myself, which is really the best I can do. If I’m authentic, I can’t be a fraud, because I’m just being who I am.” – Leo Babauta
“There is no biological requirement for cow’s milk. It is nature’s perfect food, but only if you are a calf.” – Dr. Mark Hyman, Got Proof? Lack of Evidence for Milk’s Benefits
Given that most of the time, thyroid treatment is woefully inadequate and somewhat controversial, I was prepared for the letters and comments that my Experience Life magazine article, Repair Your Thyroid, would receive. I knew that some from the conventional medical community would squawk. And sure enough, I got slammed by some who seem entrenched in the status quo.
For many folks, the thrill of the grill immediately conjures up thoughts of burgers, steaks, and hotdogs. But for those of us looking for a lighter alternative, fish is unbeatable.
Here’s this week’s Roundup. Have a great weekend. I’m going berry-picking again!
“The idea that you should walk around with an accurate calorie number in your head for all the food you eat is downright laughable. Pretending that you can reduce biology to a couple numbers is far more dangerous than your Big Mac will ever be. Eat *real* food, not too much.” – Dave Dellanave, owner of The Movement Minneapolis
“Regret is an imposter. It isn’t real. Nothing could have been done differently than it was. Your past literally could not be other than it is.” – Dr. Randine Lewis
Without question, leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables are some of the most health-giving foods on the planet. So it’s a no-brainer that we should load up on as many as we can, right? Even if we have Hashimoto’s? A resounding “yes.”
Lately, I’ve received several inquiries about the status of my Thyroid health cookbook and why my newsletters have seemingly fallen off the face of the earth. Both good questions that deserve a thorough answer! I’d love to share some detail, if you’d like to hear my story.
Tomorrow is another summertime play day, so here’s the Roundup for this week.
“Instead of wondering when your next vacation is, maybe you set up a life you don’t need to escape from.” – Seth Godin
“Soy is not a magic pill or poison; it is simply a bean.” – Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Long touted as a sinful indulgence, a guilty pleasure, and a nutritional taboo, chocolate has gotten a bad rap. But the evidence is in and if you haven’t heard, dark chocolate has many health benefits.
I’ve been at my friend Paul’s idyllic farm today, picking strawberries in the breezy heat. Before I eat bunch of them, I thought I better post this week’s Roundup. It’s short and sweet. Kind of like some of my strawberries. (Next week, I’m going back for red raspberries and the week after, black raspberries. July = berry bonanza.)
“What masquerades as a health care system is actually a large industry that thrives fiscally on illness. Disease diagnosis and treatment are the ‘bread and butter’ of the current medical system.” – Dr. Aviva Romm
I am thrilled to share that within the next few months, I will be adding another title to my role here at Healthful Elements – Nutrition Coach! And when I do, I’ll be adding a speciality to our practie that is near and dear to my heart.
Here’s our hefty Roundup from the last two weeks. Don’t forget our new “For Parents” (and parents-to-be) resources at the end of all of our Roundups.
“Twenty six second is all it takes for the chemicals in your personal care products to enter your blood stream. What’s in your products?” – Dr. Frank Lipman
“‘I’m shocked,’ said no one, ever. New fast-food study reveals what we already knew.” – from the article, Subway Just as Unhealthy as McDonald’s
The Roundup has a new add-on: holistic parenting. Even before I became a new mom, a lot of my clients who are parents of small children, were/are pregnant, or were/are seeking pregnancy asked me for resources on holistic parenting. And now that I AM a mom, people are asking me for all kinds of advice. I’m not an expert, folks! I’m learning as I go, but I’d love to share with you some of the resources that I’m finding helpful, along with the herd of regular Roundup links and quotes that we gather throughout the week.
Here are some highlights from our week. Have a great weekend …
“We have a long way to go until your local MD can understand and manage complex chronic cases. In the meantime, empower yourself with information and by doing what you can to take charge of your own health. The biggest influence on the standard health care model will ultimately be you, the patient.” – Dr. Datis Kharrazian
“Tossing your egg yolks in the trash is kind of like buying a multivitamin, stripping the vitamins from it and then tossing them into the trash.” – Todd Dosenberry
I’m headed out of town again this weekend, so here is the roundup, a day early. Instead of a few days late. :)
“One source of joy for people who fully participate in life is others’ good fortune.” – from the Experience Life article, Show Up!, written by my good friend Cat Thompson
I went out of town unexpectly last week and didn’t get ‘round to rounding up the roundup. Here’s the latest edition of what got us jazzed. Enjoy.
“Tofu and green smoothies are not the answer to good health!” – Emily Bartlett
“There’s a big difference between not settling and not starting.” – Seth Godin
Here’s what gave us a “hell yeah” this week. Have a great (and hopefully long) weekend.
“Biology is complicated shit. It’s important for you to recognize this. Many ‘experts’ won’t acknowledge that limitation. YOUR body is YOUR best data point.” – Krista Scott-Dixon (quote is from this hilarious, insightful, must-read (and long – grab a cup of tea) post)
“Please think twice before accepting a psychiatric diagnosis (yes, sometimes they are important) and three times before a medication (yes, sometimes they are helpful) – because the consequences of not can be serious.” – Dr. Aviva Romm
Here are a few nuggets that inspired and motivated us this week. We hope they inspire you too …
“Gluten free junk food is still junk.” – Dr. Jill Tieman
“Sugar was always meant to be a treat, a reward. ‘The last time I checked, birthday cake was for birthdays, and birthdays come once a year.’” – Leah Zerbe quoting Robert Lustig, MD
Tea is cool again. But it’s not just the assortment of flavors and choices that is drawing many coffee lovers to experiment with “the other hot drink.” With the health benefits of tea broadcast far and wide in the recent years, it’s difficult to have missed all of the fuss it has garnered.
Having just pulled through a long winter (although it doesn’t seem quite over for those of us in the Twin Cities), the advent of spring, nature’s new year, is a welcome time for renewal, regeneration, and a natural inclination toward cleansing. We’ve thawed, the daylight hours are extended, and we find ourselves with more energy and anticipation of the lengthened days of summer.
I’m a new mother. Harriet P. Grunewald arrived into this big world on March 28 in Florida and my husband and I cuddled her in our arms for the first time on March 29 – Good Friday. (We dubbed it Great Friday.) She’s nothing short of amazing – beautiful, alert, calm, and so easy to soothe. She’s only thirteen days old and already giggling in her sleep.
It may be possible to “cure” lactose intolerance.
Raise your hand if you’ve ever been on a diet. Most of us have, given that we live in an image-obsessed, diet-crazed society and that the quick fix weight loss business is a multibillion-dollar industry. Did dieting work for you? If so, were you able to achieve your goal and keep the weight off?
Many women today have estrogen dominance – a condition where estrogen is high in relation to progesterone. It doesn’t necessarily mean that estrogen is elevated (although most of the time it is) – it means that there is not enough progesterone production to oppose estrogen and keep it in check. As if hypothyroidism wasn’t enough of an epidemic, estrogen dominance is epidemic as well and can have some serious implications for thyroid function. Kind of a double whammy.
Jen Sinkler is the former director of fitness content for Experience Life magazine and self-professed “workout connoisseur.” I found out about Jen when I became an Experience Life ambassador and not only do we share friends, but we’ve now become big champions of each other’s work. She interviewed me about easing out of Hashimoto’s for the launch of her new website and I train with her at Movement Minneapolis. Jen was recently named one of Shape magazine’s “Top Motivators for 2013” and in 2012 she was listed as one of Huffington Post’s “20 of the Best Fitness Experts Worth Following on Twitter.” I recently caught up with Jen and asked her about resolution-setting (it probably won’t surprise you what she says), workout recommendations for beginners, and all the many plates she spins.
Allow me to get personal with you. I’m going to have a baby soon-like. My first. No, I’m not pregnant. My husband and I are adopting. We’re at the end of the rope with the red tape (literally, not emotionally) and we’ve been told we’ll be matched SOON. We’re going domestic, so things can happen quickly. And we’ll have a NEWBORN. It’s crazy and scary and exciting and mind-boggling.
Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, is a silent epidemic. And in most cases, hypothyroidism isn’t rooted in a thyroid problem in the first place. It’s rooted in an immune system gone awry (Hashimoto’s). Making dietary changes is your first line of defense.
I’m co-writing a Thyroid Health cookbook! I’m so excited I can hardly stand it. This idea was hatched at about 8:30 the night before one of my Fire Your Thyroid classes, as I was emailing with my very close friend and class participant, Lisa Markley.
I recently wrapped up Version 2.0 of my Fire Your Thyroid teleclass series. What an amazingly rewarding experience – again. I’m amazed at how many people enrolled and I feel so honored to be able to share what I know with so many. I had people from seven countries participating and the feedback has been to touching.
As popularity in the Paleo (short for Paleolithic) diet has grown, so have questions from my clients about its merits. Many of my clients are nutritionally savvy – they’ve done a lot of their own research on hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s, and adrenal fatigue, and come to me to help them sort out the contradictions and confusion and give them a supportive program with which they can start putting one foot in front of the other. And there is a lot of confusion about the benefits of going Paleo.
We’ve all heard the idiom, “You are what you eat.” You also feel what you eat. We know that the right foods help ward off disease and help keep our bodies healthy as we age. Yet many people don’t make the connection in how food can be our most powerful defense in alleviating moodiness, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and stress, and improving outlook and attitude.
Millions of people suffer with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s. Here’s how to recognize and resolve problems your doctor might miss.
When you have a sluggish thyroid, feeling crappy and tired and irritable is difficult enough. But seeing your brush and bathroom sink filled with hair is devastating – it’s a visible manifestation of your imbalance. No one wants to lose hair, no matter what the cause. And we’re not just talking scalp loss. Many people with hypothyroidism also see thinning of the outer third of their eyebrows.
Current research hails turmeric as a miracle spice because of its incredible anti-inflammatory properties. In recent studies, turmeric has outperformed many pharmaceuticals in the treatment of a wide range of chronic, degenerative diseases.
I get a lot of questions about food sensitivities. My clients want to know the difference between a food sensitivity and a food allergy. Here’s the difference. Food allergies cause an immediate response. Hives? Shortness of breath? Anaphylactic Shock? Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, or throat? Nausea or vomiting? Abdominal pain? Dizziness? These are all signs of a food allergy. Food sensitivities are shiftier and can exact an even greater toll on our health because they’re more challenging to identify, often causing the ensuing cellular inflammation to rage on for years.
Eating healthfully on a regular basis can be challenging enough. Factor in travel, and it makes things a little more difficult. Factor in dietary restrictions, and it becomes even harder. Let’s talk about what to take along and also how to eat in restaurants.
Unsafe chemicals in our skincare products, including sunscreen, insect repellant and cosmetics have been getting much recent attention, for good reason. What products are safe and which ones carry a toxic load?
Undoubtedly, eating a whole foods, nutrient-dense diet is essential for good health, but our attitude towards food and life and how we manage stress are equally if not more important, for nourishment is not limited to food alone. It includes all of the ways we feed the many needs we have as humans.
Okay, so I’m going to stop saying that my News Roundups will be posted on Fridays. I’m just going to start saying “posted weekly.” Thank you. And have a great weekend.
“It’s never too late to start heading in the right direction.” - Seth Godin
“I always find it interesting that when I look at nutrition and nutritional supplements, I think ‘health effects’ and when I look at pharmaceuticals I think ‘side effects’”. – Dr. Mark Hyman
Yesterday was my husband’s birthday. We had a wonderful day together (no working!) and a lovely evening with his parents the night before. But today, I’m feeling kinda guilty because I’m not proud of what I put in my mouth yesterday. Wanna know? I’ll tell ya…a donut, nachos, and pizza. And I had a Mr. Pibb. That’s right.The donut and pizza were gluten free (if you know me, you know this is a given), and the nachos were from Bryant Lake Bowl, a Twin Cities restaurant that does one of the darn best jobs sourcing sustainably (hormone-free cheese, non-GMO chips, etc.). But still …
Anyway, on with the good word from last week…
“You can sit there forever, lamenting about how bad you’ve been, feeling guilty until you die, and not one tiny slice of that guilt will do anything to change a single thing in the past. Forgive yourself, then move on.” – Dr. Wayne Dyer
Here they are…last week’s words of wisdom. At least some of them. There are so many, I can’t post ‘em all! I love doing this…
“Blood sugar control is more important at preventing heart disease than cholesterol EVER was!!!” – Dr. Christiane Northrup
“The culture of conventional medical training resembles that of an alcoholic family system – rife with unhealthy denial and shame.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup
How was everyone’s week? Mine has been really good. Fast. It went by very fast. Here is the good food word for this week. Have a great weekend, everyone.
“This week try writing yourself a prescription to say ‘No.’ Use it the next time someone asks you to do something you’d really rather not do. Imagine that I, your health-care practitioner, or someone else concerned with your well-being, has prescribed this “no” for you- and then use the time to do something that makes you happy.” - Marcelle Pick
“Diabetes begins YEARS and YEARS before someone actually gets diagnosed with it. Unabated stress of ALL kinds will raise blood sugar, even on a low calorie, low sugar diet.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup
Here is the word for this second week of January, 2012.
“The default choices in our society encourage an unhealthy lifestyle. The cheapest, convenient and more accessible meals are usually the ones depleted of any nutritional value, and full of sugar, bad fats and chemicals. Therefore living a healthy lifestyle requires us to be proactive about making decisions that provide nourishment to our systems. It’s the small choices we make on a daily basis that make a huge difference.” Dr. Frank Lipman
“If you’re an artist, a leader or someone seeking to make a difference, the first thing you do should be to lay tracks to accomplish your goals, not to hear how others have reacted/responded/insisted to what happened yesterday.” – Seth Godin
Hi folks. I guess I should have called this “This Month’s News Roundup” or maybe “The Last Two Months’ News Roundup.” It’s been a while, I know. But I’m back and I’m on it.
“I am amazed at how the smartest people don’t make the connections between what they eat, how they live, and how they feel.” – Dr. Mark Hyman
“How do you know how much you should weigh? Really - how do you know? Do you REALLY know?” – Marc David
I’m very honored and excited to be featured in the 2nd edition of CRAVEguide Minneapolis/St. Paul. CRAVE innovatively connects urban gals to the sassiest, gutsiest, most inspiring people they need to know in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
My new role as one of the six new ambassadors for Experience Life Magazine is in full swing and I’m really honored to be representing a publication whose motto is “Being Healthy is a Revolutionary Act.” I couldn’t agree more. So we’re a good fit!
Keepin’ it short and sweet this week …
“Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.” — Lao Tzu (c/o Experience Life Magazine)
Wow, so much wisdom being broadcast this week. I told you this week’s News Roundup would be a doozy. Ready?
“Man … sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present … he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.” Dalai Lama
“Sometimes late night food cravings simply mean you need to go to sleep earlier.” – Marc David
“The facts are that fast food and junk foods cause a thousand times as many premature deaths compared to cocaine; and it’s condoned.” – Dr. Joel Fuhrman
Yep, it did me too.
The growing season is over at Cramer Organics. What an experience, one that I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to participate in. I learned so much.
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE should get out on a farm and see where your food comes from. Have you ever been on a farm? Do you know the work that goes into growing food and raising livestock? Don’t take it for granted, people. Farmers work their a**es off to feed us and they deserve our utmost respect and admiration, which they often don’t get. Okay, don’t get me started …
Here ‘tis, the good food word for this week. Actually, not all of it is related to food. Cuz, you know, being healthy is not all about what we put in our mouths.
“Our sense of self and our body image affects our health for a lifetime. If you are allowing the mainstream media to adversely manipulate your self-worth, you’re in for a rocky ride! Prepare to become media literate.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup
“Don’t just go to the doctor and make sure you’re ‘normal.’ ‘Normal’ is not optimal.” – Dr. Christiane Northrup
“Public policy for a low-fat diet is still on the books to this day, even though it was developed without a shred of scientific evidence.” – Dr. Mark Hyman
I wish I had a dollar for every time one of my clients said, “My doctor tested my TSH and he/she said that my thyroid is fine, but after reading your symptoms list, I’m thinking that I still have a thyroid problem.” Really, your doctor said that your thyroid is fine? Then why are you so exhausted and moody? Why is your hair falling out and your estrogen high? Why are you putting on weight? Why are you having a hard time losing weight despite your best efforts?
It’s almost over. This last week was the next to last week of the 2011 harvest season. I’m still amazed at all that is flourishing on the farm, and although we’re enveloped by the jewel tones of fall and the sweet and earthy aroma of fallen leaves, it’s still been warm enough to wear shorts. I may not be so lucky next week.
Where oh where did the week go? Some work, some writin’, some farmin’, and poof, it’s Friday. Here are some juicy tidbits from this week, collected just for you.
“By letting it go, it all gets done. The world is won by those who let it go. But when you try and try the world is beyond the winning.” - Lao Tzu
“Uncertainty comes with territory of being a human. Can you hang with it?” - Marc David
BPA — found in baby bottles and sippy cups, microwave ovenware, stain-resistant food storage containers, eating utensils, hard-plastic drinking bottles, five-gallon water jugs, and plastic wraps, to name just a few — easily leaches into food and liquids, and hundreds of studies have linked it to harmful endocrine-disrupting effects, causing reproductive, developmental, behavioral, and neurological harm.
Here you go. This week’s News Roundup … what excited, moved, educated, and inspired me this week. Please let me know if any of these inspire YOU!
“From a physiologic perspective, healing only occurs during the relaxation response. If you think you can stress into healing, think again…” - Marc David
I kinda take back what I said about not having much damage from the previous week’s freeze. Come to find out, the beans are done and the squash plants are damaged. But on the bright side, it’s root crop time! And many of the fall crops get sweeter after a frost.
As promised, here is the inaugural “issue” of my News Roundup for the week. Each Friday, I’ll post what excited, moved, educated, and inspired me. And what I think will make us all healthier and happier. To paraphrase a statement from Experience Life Magazine, I’ll be sharing with you the antidote to all the fuss and nonsense that dominates the vast majority of health information out there today.
Well, so much for the much-anticipated frost on Wednesday night. Yes, it was darned chilly on Thursday morning (hat, gloves, and scarf warranted), and there was a slight white glisten on the grass, but the crops survived - all but the basil.
Joey, her family, and some of their neighbors scrambled the day and night before, harvesting as much as they could. The shed and walk-in were full of produce; it will never cease to amaze me the volume of food that can be grown on a small farm.
It may be September, but things ain’t slowin’ down on the farm. Despite getting quite cooler since, Thursday was a steamer and we had our work cut out for us, especially since Chris, a lovely fellow I worked with this summer, had to go back to school. He’s a high school music teacher, which is like, so cool.
Do you have a hard time falling asleep at night? Do you wake up frequently during the night? Do you have a hard time waking up in the morning early or feeling refreshed? Do you get an afternoon slump, only to perk up around 6 or 7pm, and then get a second wind around 9:30? Are you lacking in energy? Do you feel tired yet wired? Do bright lights bother you more than they should? Do you startle easily due to noise?
I recently completed leading my very first teleseminar series, Fire Your Thyroid. Yes, thyroid (and adrenal) health is the focus of my health coaching practice, but creating this series was particularly weighty and meaningful to me because it’s so personal, and because I had three classes (yes, it could have been more, but it is summer, after all) in which to share the best of the best of my knowledge and teach people how I came into unmedicated remission from Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.
Degenerative diseases, including heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s (including other forms of dementia), and diabetes, as well their kissing cousin, obesity, expend the majority of our health care resources in this country and possess a powerful inflammatory component. The onset of autoimmune disorders, such as multiple sclerosis, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Hashimoto’s, are, according to Dr. Sears, “clear-cut examples of out-of-control inflammation.” Think of chronic inflammation as an army of pistol-packing outlaws roaming our bodies and robbing us of our health.
Didja think I got fired from the farm? I know you’ve been waiting with bated breath to hear what bugs bit me, what we harvested, and what twang I listened to to and fro. In case you’re wondering why the two-week pause, I didn’t get ‘round to writing a Week 8 post and was out of town last week. And yes, I missed the farm!
So yesterday. Up before dawn (not easy for this girl). Mellow drive. Beautiful, dewy morning. Chilly. (I’m still in denial that fall is soon upon us, even though it’s my favorite time of year.)
We’re losing another one of the last of the real country troubadours. This post is in honor of the Rhinestone Cowboy, one of twelve children born in Arkansas to a sharecropper father.
I don’t have much to say about the farm today, other than picking green beans is kinda hard work. They’re low and hidden by fat leaves exactly the same color as the beans. So you need something to sit on.
I got some new bug spray (the natural stuff, of course) and nary a mosquito came near me today. Finally, some relief. Li’l bastards.
There was plenty of sunshine and just the right amount of heat today, nothing like the sweltering, Amazon-ish, bizarro weather we’ve had these last few days. Want an ag-based perspective on our sweaty summer? Go grassfed to keep that dewpoint down!
Our winter was long, summer is here, and everyone’s talkin’ about vitamin D. Are you getting enough sun on your skin? Or are you sun-phobic and slathering on the sunscreen, of which many are toxic and full of chemicals?
We made quick work at the farm today. Lettuce is getting a break for a couple of weeks or so and it was too wet to harvest basil. The chard is still gorgeous, the green onions are plump as all get out, and the kohlrabi look like purple and green balloons about to burst. But they’re still delicious…not woody.
I’ll keep this short and sweet. The mosquitoes were vicious yesterday. Even with bug spray. I hate to say it, but the natural stuff doesn’t work as well as Off. I’ll just have to suffer, as I ain’t sprayin’ Off on my skin.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll probably say it again. It’s amazing how the fields change in a week. Last week, no broccoli or cauliflower flower heads. This week, broccoli and cauliflower went into the CSA boxes. Joey gave me a whole extra bag of broccoli and I came home, roasted it, and ate it all.
It was a hot one on the farm yesterday – quite the antithesis of last week. And I loved it. Hot blazing sun? Bring it. (A nice breeze doesn’t hurt.)
Because of the forecast for a heat index of 107, we got started early and the greens were the first to get harvested, bathed, and into the coolers. Talk about some dense, hearty heads of lettuce. Oh my gosh, gorgeous. And I was excited about adding a new kind of kale to the bouquets going into the CSA boxes. It was a fatter, wider leaf with a very purple spine.
One way to test for potential hypothyroidism is to do a basal body temperature (BBT) test at home. According to Dr. John Douillard, “Before blood tests were available, the thyroid was evaluated by basal body temperature and the signs and symptoms presented by the patient. Today, these traditional tests have been replaced by modern blood tests. It has now become clear that these blood tests alone are not accurate enough.”
If you experience several of these symptoms listed here, you may have an underactive thyroid, including adrenal dysfunction. (Many integrative and functional medicine doctors now claim that the symptoms of hypothyroidism and adrenal dysfunction are largely indistinguishable.)
“What’s that? And what’s that?” I want to know what it all looks like as it’s coming up, you know? Joey, our ever-so-patient leader and owner of Cramer Organics is so sweet and enthusiastic about educating us. It’s June in Minnesota, so it’s still early in the growing season (and muddy) and while we harvested a lot of stuff today, many crops are mere leaves, like eggplant, tomatoes, and potatoes. So after cleaning our harvests, she took us on a walk through the fields and pointed out what all the “thats” were.
Today was my first day working at Cramer Organics, our CSA farm. We purchased a CSA share from them last year, and enjoyed every bit of our weekly bounty. (My husband would say, “…except for the kohlrabi.”)
A few months ago, when they asked who would like to work one day a week in exchange for a share, I leapt at the chance. Think Horshack in Welcome Back Kotter. (I’m dating myself with that one.)
After three years of reading and research about natural, drug-free ways to jumpstart my sluggish thyroid, which meant putting a stop to my weight gain, relieving my afternoon fatigue, facing my day alert versus feeling like I’d been beaten up the night before, and helping many of my clients do the same, I am developing a teleseminar series that is going to be the best of my thinking and personal experience with getting this gland in gear.
It’s nearly impossible to be attuned to the Minnesota local and sustainable foods drumbeat and not know chef Jenny Breen. I met this veteran good food advocate at an Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) local foods event a few years ago. When it comes to the local and sustainable food movement, she’s no Jenny-come-lately. Jenny was local when local wasn’t cool. She’s a petite powerhouse, a no-nonsense visionary and entrepreneur who will undoubtedly continue to be on the front lines, educating her students, customers, and the rest of us about the importance of real food.
Got nasal congestion, itchy and burning eyes, the sneezes, fatigue, headaches, runny nose, sore throat, and brain fog? You’re not alone. Everything is abloom and while it’s wondrous to finally see green after our long, cold winter, suffering from allergies can make many want to become shut-ins.
Life is funny. For the last, oh, year or so, I had wanted to reach out to Sarah Moran to tell her how much I appreciate her writing. A couple of weeks ago, I woke up thinking, “Must…email…Sarah” and dropped her a few lines. Minutes later, my phone rings. She and I proceed to chat each other up, wherein she shares that her brother, Jack McCann, and wife Betsy recently started True Cost Farm in Montrose, MN. What? A sustainable farm near the Twin Cities that I hadn’t heard of? I had to know about these people.
Butter. The thought of this delicacy might make some folks gasp in horror, as conventional nutritional advice has browbeaten many into believing that butter (and other naturally occurring fats) will make us fat and clog our arteries. Butter lovers can rejoice, as this is simply not true.
The holidays are a challenging time to think about watchdogging sugar and refined carbohydrate intake. If you want to be cautious about not overloading on sugar and refined flour, there are a few simple steps you can take to treat yourself as well as your taste buds well.
Thanksgiving, and the holidays in general, can be a daunting time for those who are watching their waistlines. With so many food-focused festivities taking place bam bam bam, sheer terror strikes many a heart. Yet terror is antithetical to what the holidays are about and that terror can do way more harm than pumpkin pie lovingly crafted with butter crust and topped with real whipped cream.
Just like those dark leafy greens that I’m often proselytizing about, Brussels sprouts are another vegetable that can get me on my high horse. Basically, get ‘em into anything and everything, people, because they are major cancer fighters.
Unfortunately, apples frequently arrive at their destination road weary, mealy, and tasteless, having been harvested before their time. Fall is the time to venture out and locate a pick-your-own apple orchard or farmers’ market where you can choose your own tasty treasures that aren’t jetlagged.
“The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious.” – Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume
Radishes, which are from the cabbage family, have powerful antibacterial, anti-fungal and detoxification properties, and as members of the brassica family (which includes cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kale, cauliflower and broccoli), have been lauded as vigorous protectors again cancer.
While statistics on beverage consumption vary considerably, it’s inarguable that Americans consume vastly more soft drinks than any other country. It’s no coincidence that we also suffer from the highest rates of obesity, heart disease, and Type II diabetes, all of which are exacerbated by excessive sugar intake.
Berries are much more nutritious than many people realize and an ever-increasing amount of research is being done to prove just how important they are for warding off disease, especially cancer. Generally, berries are bursting with vitamins and disease-fighting compounds and not only are they powerful in cleansing and strengthening the blood, but they are also very densely packed with a variety of potent phytochemicals that can do wonders for normalizing and improving health.
Folks, consider asparagus the vegetable with benefits.
As we inhale allergens, they accumulate in our bodies, are seen as the foreign substances that they are, are thus attacked by immune cells, and eventually an immune reaction is triggered. Antibodies are produced, which generate histamines and other chemicals to fight the battle. Histamines cause the blood vessels and tissues in your nasal passages and sinuses to swell, become inflamed, and produce excess mucus. While many experience this assault from the chest up, others have a whole-body reaction, including joint pain and stiffness and general malaise. As the body huffs and puffs to exterminate these unwelcome visitors, severe fatigue can set in.
What’s on your whole foods hit list? Let’s talk about the food myths that have become mainstream “knowledge” and have catapulted the sale of some dubious health and diet books, many of which have thankfully faded into near oblivion.
Saturated fats and cholesterol have been vilified for 30 years, but the truth is, they’re essential for good health and a necessary component of every cell in your body.
Indeed, there is an abundance of natural ways to boost immunity (possibly thwarting the nasty bug in the first place), to relieve painful and irritating symptoms, and to send pathogens packin’ once they do invade.
Food labels, both nutritional and on-pack seals or symbols, are intended to inform consumers, enabling us to make conscientious choices. Yet confusion abounds, particularly when consumers don’t know what labels mean, assume they mean something they don’t, or worse, if the label is misleading.
Fiber. It’s not a very…sexy topic. Just the word conjures up images of Metamucil commercials with the sandy-looking granules swirling in a glass and promises of becoming “regular.” But the benefits of a high fiber diet are many and certainly extend beyond the water closet.
It’s difficult for me to not get on my soapbox about how far we’ve gotten away from real food and what real food tastes like; but that sort of pontificating can turn people off. It’s also difficult for me to understand why this food isn’t available to everyone. Too many people in this country live in rural areas where, if you don’t grow your own food, or have friends or family who do, you’re forced to support the commodity food system, a system of often over-produced, over-processed, prematurely harvested, less than tasteful and nutritious food. And we wonder why we have a healthcare crisis in this country.
No one can argue that the luscious tomatoes available in the summer months, from your local farmer (or your backyard), are worlds apart from what you find in the produce aisle. The colors are surprisingly gorgeous, ranging from chartreuse, pink, purple, brown, and even striped. Heirloom or no, there’s no comparing these summertime beauties to commercial crops, which are harvested green to withstand the journey and then hard-ripened with ethylene gas.
Hard alcohol and heat go together like wool in the desert. Alcohol is dehydrating and depleting, as is the heat, and who wants a double whammy fast track to fatigue and confusion when the daylight hours go well past dinnertime?
I’m often asked what the best way is to shake up the green regime without adding heaviness to a salad. While it’s true that various nuts, seeds, and fruit will add fresh flavor and essential nutrients, my first recommendation is always arugula! Variety is the spice of life, after all, and what better way to add spark and punch to your salads than to incorporate this naturally spicy, sharp, tangy green?
I’m giving you permission to give in to your sweet tooth, in moderation, so that you don’t feel deprived and then dive into the deep end of the sugar pool. But make your choices count.
During spring, our warmer days can quickly turn to cooler evenings, and people often look to lighter but warming options for dinner. Spring soups are the perfect answer.
Spices are packed with disease-fighting compounds and although unproven and largely uninvestigated by modern Western medicine, the nutritional value of spices continues to intrigue and benefit those willing to explore their unique properties.
With overwhelming rates of cardiovascular disease in this country, we’ve probably all heard the basic tenets of heart health: control your weight, exercise regularly, watch what you eat, drink in moderation, shun cigarettes, and practice stress management. While all are legitimate suggestions, no matter what the condition of your heart, there are often some finer points regarding heart health that many doctors overlook or don’t understand.
Once thought to be a condition that only afflicted teenagers, acne can trouble us into our 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s, as if we were fresh-faced high schoolers. Indeed, the stats are high; acne affects us all at some point in our lives. But the disorder continues to be misunderstood, even by the medical community.
Whether your choice of comfort foods is based on the season, the occasion, your personal history, or your identity, there is always an emotional component to what we eat, as emotions play a significant role in what we crave. No matter the reason, there is certainly room in a healthy diet to moderately partake in whatever your heart and mind desire.
Eating cheap, processed food void of nutrition may be good for the pocketbook, but doing so puts our wellbeing in a deficit.
Skin conditions are not just skin conditions. What’s inside will always come out. Our skin is the great communicator (think megaphone) when it comes to imbalances and chronic health issues and it’s up to us to look beneath the surface for the underlying problem.
Quality, antibiotic-, and hormone-free meat is condensed nutrition. For some, eschewing red meat means denying the body of nutrients that can improve health, energy, and vitality.
Given our world of brightly lit supermarket aisles proudly displaying picture-perfect fruits and vegetables, massive distribution warehouses where foods sit in waiting, questionable post-harvest handling practices (think the E. coli outbreaks from spinach), inhumane and toxic feedlots, and less-than-flavorful produce harvested before its time in a faraway land, the growing season is the time of year to visit your local organic farmers’ market and experience the difference.
Recent estimates claim that 44 million people are threatened with osteoporosis. Ten million are estimated to already have the disease, 80% of them women. If our recent ancestors had sturdy, healthy bones that carried them upright for a lifetime, then we have to ask ourselves, what are we currently doing wrong?
When most people hear “leafy green vegetables,” they probably think of iceberg lettuce. However the ordinary, pale crunchies in restaurant salads don’t boast the power-packed goodness or taste (pass the ranch dressing!) of other darker greens, most of which our Western diets are unfortunately lacking.
Thank goodness that dietary fat isn’t the boogie nutrient that it was a decade ago. As fat became the enemy and a swarm of lowfat and nonfat foods crowded grocery store shelves, something interesting happened – Americans got 30% bigger and mass confusion reigned.
