Foods That Don't Love You Back

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Sep 19, 2012

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.

TSH = Thyroid Stimulating Hooey

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Oct 11, 2011

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? 

Adrenal Dysfunction 101

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Aug 30, 2011

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?

The Long and Pathetic List of Hypothyroid Symptoms

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Jun 26, 2011

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.)

Thanksgiving: Eat, Drink, and Don’t Worry

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Nov 24, 2010

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.

Heart-y Nourishment

Posted by Jill McLaughlin (Grunewald) on Feb 02, 2008

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.