What's the ultimate form of self-love this Valentine's Day? Finally getting the health answers you've been looking for...for years.  Which is why I'm thrilled to kick off this ?month of love? with the start of a 6-week program dedicated 100% to loving your own body in the most healing of ways. And it includes the wildly popular and highly comprehensive stool test, the GI-MAP! I can still remember my first GI-MAP. ? I had been looking for answers to a myriad of mysterious digestive symptoms for what seemed like forever, and it felt like the GI-MAP was my last hope. I had a lot weighing ..read more

PART 1 I felt like I was very prepared to give birth to this little one from 34 weeks on. And with good reason. With my first pregnancy, I was diagnosed with ICP (Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy) at 34 weeks, and the generally accepted medical protocol is to induce at 36 weeks at a hospital to protect the health of the baby. 28 weeks with Hayden // photo by Ali Beck ICP is a fairly rare (thought to be mainly genetic) liver condition that occurs in the mother in pregnancy—usually toward the end. And it’s a repeat offender in 60-70% of women. The midwives who did my prenatal care wer ..read more

June 2017 — thin dark line noticeable on index finger nail June 2020 — 3 years after line first became noticeable; it’s grown darker and thicker This past year I had a non-hospital birth in the early throes of the pandemic shutdowns. My second son Hayden was born on May 12th, 2020, weighing a full 8 pounds and 12 ounces that did not treat the lower half of my body well. Sigh. If you’ve ever had a baby, you know that postpartum healing is not linear.  When I was three months postpartum, I had a biopsy done on the index finger nail bed of my right (dominant) hand. Since 2017, I ..read more

Toddlers are lovable, cute, hilarious and all-around wonderful beings…but they’re also so germy! If you have a toddler, and have ever avoided a sneeze to the face, or watched them put their hands in their mouth after touching something atrocious…you know exactly what I mean. As the flu season continues this year, and Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to linger in the back of our minds, I want to let you in on a few of my favorite tips, tricks and secrets when it comes to stopping the spread of germs in their tracks. 1. Keep their nails cut as short as possible. Most of us adults don’t take the ..read more

In order to prioritize blood sugar regulation, you do not immediately have to blacklist a meal that includes carbohydrates. While you should avoid processed carbs like white and refined flours and grains, more complex root vegetables and hearty squash don’t necessarily raise blood sugar as intensely as a slice of white bread would. Turn to sweet potatoes, carrots, plantains, and winter squash for your carb fix, but pay attention to how they affect your blood-sugar levels. Gluten-free grains or “seeds” like quinoa, buckwheat and millet tend to contain more protein and fewer carbohydrates than c ..read more

Let's talk about blood, baby...let's talk all things GD!  Gestational diabetes is basically a carbohydrate intolerance of any degree that begins or is first recognized during pregnancy (SOURCE). However, research now shows that it can also be a sign of type 2 diabetes developing within five years (YIKES!) (SOURCE). So take it seriously if you get a GD diagnosis...but also, DON'T PANIC! Many women can manage it very successfully through YUMMY REAL FOOD, alongside some good movement and exercise (SOURCE) (SOURCE) (SOURCE). In overly simplified terms, a GD diagnosis means that your body, while p ..read more

If you’ve heard me talk about my prenatal supplement regimen (or supplements in general!), then chances are you’ve heard me talking about the company Seeking Health. I recommend their prenatal highly (they have chewable and protein powder forms as well!), and I take their digestive enzymes everywhere I go! Today my friends at Seeking Health are offering their biggest sale of the new year, but it ends on January 7th! I just got my monthly order in, and wanted to make sure that you had the chance ..read more