I’m often asked what Nutritional Therapy involves, and what my process looks like. With so many new readers this month, I thought it might be helpful to overview the big ideas and key concepts that I focus on when working with clients. Keep in mind that I see clients with a variety of presenting problems. For some it may be the health of a child with Autism or ADHD, for others it may be gastrointestinal disturbance, depression & anxiety, chronic fatigue, frequent illness, skin irritation, severe migraines, hormone imbalance, weight loss…. The list goes on. My overall process is the same w ..read more

Did you know that a recent study published in the Journal of Preventative Medicine found that adherence to a healthy lifestyle is directly associated with a lower risk of mortality (1)? That means that the daily choices you make can directly affect length of your life, with a few key areas making the biggest impact.  Having lost both of my parents in their 70s (which I still consider quite young), it has become a personal mission of mine to focus on my overall health and wellness, so that I can live well into my later years. I also had kids at a later age than most, so I’m doing my due d ..read more

It’s important that we spend a little time talking about a Parasympathetic versus a Sympathetic state, and how this influences digestion. The human Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is responsible for regulating the body’s unconscious actions and is made up of three divisions: the Parasympathetic Nervous System, the Sympathetic Nervous System, and the Enteric Nervous System. The Parasympathetic Nervous system is often considered the “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” system, while the Sympathetic nervous System is the “fight or flight” system. Historically, our ancestors lived life mostl ..read more

I’ll argue that protein is one of the more important macronutrients to focus on when it comes to our nutrition. We need adequate amounts of protein in order to build tissue, and to support growth and development, regardless of how much you may be hitting the gym. Protein helps us to feel satiated, balance our blood glucose levels, and perform vital daily functions. Protein is important across all ages and stages of life, but we need more protein as we get older in order to combat age related muscle loss.  How do we break protein down and use it in the body? Pepsin (an enzyme in our gastr ..read more

I’ve shared here many times, the underlying importance of optimizing digestion and gut health in order to set the body and the brain up for health and wellness. Gut health is crucial to all other systems in the body, including the immune, cardiovascular, endocrine/reproductive, nervous systems, and more. It is through the digestive system that we breakdown and absorb the nutrients that are necessary to fuel all vital functions in the body. If there is dysfunction in the digestive system, then you expect things to go awry elsewhere in the body. This is why when a client comes to see me, I focu ..read more

Vitamin D may be one of the most fundamentally important building blocks available to us for creating and sustaining vibrant health1. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that promotes calcium absorption in the intestine and maintains calcium and phosphate levels in the blood, protecting against osteoporosis, rickets, and bone fracture. It also regulates immune function, cell growth, and neuromuscular function2. Vitamin D status has been found to be an important determinant in Covid-19 outcomes3. Deficiency in Vitamin D has also been found to play a role in the development of depressive symptom ..read more

We have talked at length in prior blog posts about the core foundations of health: Digestion, Blood Sugar Regulation, Hydration, Mineral and Fatty Acid Balancing, and a Nutrient Dense Whole Food Properly Prepared Diet. I would also add in Sleep, Stress, and Movement, as these are crucial to your overall health. These core foundations all work together in an intricate way to help maintain homeostasis within  the body. I have yet to have a client come to me without some sort of digestive complaint or need. The north to south process of digestion is complex, and when dysfunction is pre ..read more

Whether you’re trying to lose weight, clear up your skin, reduce pain and inflammation in your body, sleep better at night, or simply get healthier, you might have the idea that excess sugar (and your cravings for it!) is getting in the way of achieving your goals.Sugar cravings are extremely common and can often be explained by relatively simple things, like the side effects from certain foods that have made their way into your diet or simply the fact that reaching for that sugary snack has become a habit in its own right (1). I’m the first to say that there is no such thing as “good” or “ba ..read more

If you have followed me for any length of time, you know by now that I have a passion for mushrooms, especially the adaptogenic and medicinal varieties. Mushrooms are such an incredibly nutrient dense food, that they deserve their own food category. The consumption of mushrooms goes back to the earliest known recordings of history. They have been consumed both as food and as a powerful medicinal, used treat a variety of health conditions across time. Mushrooms pack quite the nutritional punch! They are rich in B vitamins, Vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium, potassium, mangane ..read more

Zinc is an essential trace mineral that is vital for human health. It is a component of more than 300 enzymes and hormones and plays a crucial part in the health of our skin, teeth, bones, hair, nails, muscles, nerves, and brain function (1). Zinc controls the enzymes that operate and renew the cells in our bodies (2)  and regulates the sensory organs for sight, smell, and taste (3).While this essential micronutrient is significant throughout life, it is especially important for times of rapid growth, such as childhood, adolescence, and pregnancy, due to its role in helping cells gr ..read more