Have you heard the word “inflammation” lately? It’s is a word thrown around a lot these days. Some say it’s swelling. Others use it to describe the reason for their pain. It can also be used to describe a sensation of heat around an injured part of the body. These things are only partly true.

There are two types of inflammation and it’s important for you to know why one type poses serious health risks, if left untreated. I want you to be aware of what to look for and what to do about it. As you may have guessed, it’s directly related to your gut health and has a HUGE impact on your long-term vitality.

The two types I’m referring to are acute and chronic inflammation. It’s important to know the difference and how both affect the body. Read on for some clear and simple steps you can take to find out if you have this problem. And if you think that you do, I’m going to share practical steps to take so you can finally begin...

We’ve all dealt with some kind of unwanted health issue, at one point or another, and made a trip to our general physician to find out what was wrong with us. They spend about 10 minutes (max) asking us what our symptoms are, maybe suggest a couple of blood tests and then send us on our way with a diagnosis and a prescription. Well, sometimes anyway. What happens if you visit your doctor with symptoms and they just can’t come up with a diagnosis or any answers for what may be going on? Are you out of luck and destined to feel awful forever? The answer is NO!

When this happens, it’s time to reach out to your functional practitioner and talk about how to get the answers you are looking for through functional lab testing.

Q. What’s the biggest difference between Functional Diagnostic Nutrition practitioners and conventional medicine doctors?

A: The medical model is focused on diagnosing and prescribing for disease states and specific health conditions....

Over the last three or four months I’ve received an influx of referrals (thank you!) to kids of varying ages from about 10 years old to 17 years old, with chronic headaches, irregular and painful periods, digestive problems, anxiety and mood swings, and other issues, so this has been on my mind recently and I wanted to make sure that you (and your friends) know…

YES – I can help kids too.

As a mother of three, I know how difficult it is to be in a situation when your child/teenager is having trouble sleeping, isn’t feeling well, dealing with acne that won’t stop, or they are suffering with debilitating anxiety.

And you so badly want to help, but don’t know how.

So, you might do like I did many years ago, and see the pediatrician or a few specialists to try and get some answers. But instead of answers, you end up with a prescription that you really don’t want to give them, because of the side effects. Or worse, you have exhausted yourself...

Picture this…you’re suffering from bouts of diarrhea. Every day. For weeks on end. You’re feeling exhausted, crampy and irritable due to your condition. It’s so bad, you’re barely able to take care of the “must do’s” in your home and a “next to nothing done” amount of work gets accomplished. 

You’d be grumpy, super uncomfortable and unable to care for your family, or work. 

Now imagine going to see your doctor and they’re unable to help you or find the cause. You’re told to eat the BRAT diet, take medications, stay hydrated. After some persistence on your part, you’re referred to another doctor for answers. 

Now suppose that after seeing three other specialists, not one of them can help you. You’re at a dead end with no answers, no solution, and no relief. 

What would you do? How well do you think you’d be able to continue to function, go to work, or care for your...

I talk a lot about weight loss resistance. It’s important to understand what it is and how you can take steps to overcome it. What I haven’t spent much time talking about here in this space is the role that vitamin D plays. So unless you're already a client working with me, you probably don’t know much about it or maybe, anything.

Most people are aware that vitamin D is a key nutrient to keep our bones healthy. And with COVID-19 still very much center stage, we’ve been hearing more about how it can boost our immune system. What I want to focus on today is expanding your knowledge of this nutrient. I want to help you understand its role in weight loss and your overall health and finally how to know if you have this deficiency and what you can do about it.

Vitamin D Facts

Here are some interesting facts about vitamin D that you probably don’t know. 

• Vitamin D is one of the vitamins your body makes.
• Vitamin D is a hormone.
• Vitamin D helps overcome...

Are you eating fairly well and getting regular exercise but still unable to maintain a healthy weight? Ever wondered why that might be? (Of course, you have!)

Ask yourself the following:

• Have you gained unexplained weight despite making healthy food choices & movement?
• Do you get migraines or headaches?
• Do you struggle to focus?
• Are you suddenly having unexplained rashes/breakouts?
• Are you struggling to lose weight?
• Are you having awful periods or having trouble getting pregnant?
• Are your hormones unbalanced?
• Do you just not feel as good as you used to and you’re not sure why?

If you answered yes to any of the above, the cause could be man-made chemicals called obesogens that disrupt your hormones and have been linked to obesity, birth defects, and more.

WHAT ARE OBESOGENS?

Every day our bodies are being hijacked by man-made chemicals that disrupt our hormones. Obesogens – known as endocrine disruptors – are found in tons of products we use each...

Hormonal acne (aka cystic acne) is different than run-of-the-mill pimples. Since hormonal acne is linked to (you guessed it) your hormones, you’re likely to experience it around your period or under times of stress (when cortisol is higher). In fact, experts believe that hormonal acne is caused by hormonal fluctuations that increase oil production in the pore. However, it can be caused by food sensitivities and nutrient deficiencies as well. This kind of acne usually appears in an intense form that results in large, inflamed cysts and nodules that appear on the skin, particularly on the jawline, chin and forehead. These breakouts tend to be painful and can sometimes result in scarring.

HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU HAVE IT?

How do you know you’re suffering from hormonal acne and not run-of-the-mill pimples? If you’re experiencing one or more of the following, it’s most likely hormonal:

• You’re no longer in your teens. When you were a teen, did you imagine...

Amy is a 42-year old super busy mom of three boys. She’s taken on the role of PTA volunteer, class mom for two of her boys’ classrooms, and coordinates the schedule for her oldest son’s baseball team. In the last year, she hasn’t been feeling like herself. She has somehow gained an extra 15 pounds (hello muffin-top!), feels like she is ready for bed at 4 pm, and can’t ever seem to remember where she put her keys (inevitably right before she leaves for school pick-up). She always feels completely depleted and gets annoyed at every little thing. She keeps thinking that something is “off” and that she should go see her OB-GYN.

Every evening, Amy usually comes home after chauffeuring everyone to and from their sports and after school activities and cooks dinner for the family. When her husband comes home around 6 pm, they all have dinner together. This particular Thursday, when her husband got home, something seemed off.

The driveway was...

As a functional medicine coach, one of the questions I am asked most often by clients when it comes to losing weight and clearing up other health issues is “What am I doing wrong?” or “What is wrong with me?”. Here’s what I tell them – it isn’t about what you are doing “wrong”. The inability to lose weight, etc. is NOT because you don’t have enough willpower or because you aren’t able to eat perfectly all the time, so please, stop blaming yourself.

One of the biggest reasons my clients so often have trouble overcoming weight loss resistance or feeling less tired or a myriad of other health issues is actually because of stress.

We live with constant stress. Instead of occasional demands, followed by periods of rest, we are constantly triggering the “fight-or-flight” stress response. These demands include both hidden stressors and life stressors.

In fact, the past year has been an extreme...

Detox programs are everywhere!  If you google the words “detox program”, you’ll get an overwhelming 28.3 million results.  Just so we are on the same page… I’m not talking about a drug and alcohol detox here.  I am specifically referring to the ways in which our bodies get rid of waste (toxins and otherwise). And more importantly, how we are supporting our bodies in detoxifying on a regular basis.  If waste builds up, without an effective way to remove it, we get sick and fat!

This is an important conversation and if you only read a couple of paragraphs here, this is what I REALLY want you to know: First, prioritize supporting your body’s natural detoxification system and get rid of waste. Second, and just as important, you must then learn ways to minimize your exposure to “Retoxing” (or putting toxins back in).

So, let’s get back to those detox programs.  Some of these require you to only drink...