Posts in Food + Nutrition
What is the Candida Cleanse?

Candida is a specific type of yeast (or fungus) that lives in our bodies, which is weird, I know.

Most of the time this yeasty little hitchhiker doesn’t cause any problems because it’s kept in check by our immune system and plenty of probiotics, which are the “good” bacteria that live in our gut. Unfortunately, under certain conditions candida can overgrow and cause symptoms that range from frequent vaginal yeast infections, urinary tract infections, oral thrush, fatigue, digestive issues, or even sinus infections.

Because our bodies normally keep candida in check with our immune system and healthy gut flora, undergoing a candida cleanse is a common treatment for anyone prone to overgrowth of yeast. The cleanse includes avoiding sugar, simple starches, gluten, yeast/mold/fungus-containing foods, and other gut irritants, while eating plenty of veggies, lean proteins, and probiotic-rich foods.

It can feel overwhelming to take on any kind of cleanse, but it’s actually a fairly simple plan to follow and only takes a few weeks to reset your system. Plus, most my patients who do the candida cleanse love the effect it has on their digestion, mood, energy level, and skin clarity.

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Foods for Hot Flashes

Hot flashes suck, it’s hard to understand if you’ve never experienced one before. They can stop you in your tracks or send you running home for a change of dry clothes. If you’ve been dealing with hot flashes, whether from menopause or other hormonal imbalances, then you’re probably desperate to find something that works.

Luckily you’re in the right place, because I treat them all the time, in people of all ages. In many cases diet and herbs can majorly improve hot flashes and hormonal imbalances if you know what to look for, I’ll explain how!

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The Benefits of Raspberry Leaf Tea

Raspberry leaf, aka Rubus idaeus or Fu Pen Zi in Chinese medicine, happens to be one of the most common herbs I use myself and prescribe to my patients. It is a gentle yet powerful uterine tonic, it is safe in pregnancy, and when brewed as tea or an herbal infusion it's a good source of dissolved minerals.

And, you don't have to be pregnant or even a woman to benefit from this amazing herb. It also has benefits for digestion, skin, lungs, and gums. In fact, for many of it's benefits you don't even have to drink it, you can use it as a soak or add it to your bath. I'll explain how.

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Anti-inflammatory Foods - what they are & why to eat them

Many of my patients have heard about eating an anti-inflammatory diet a thousand times over, but few actually understand which foods to eat, which to avoid, the benefits to eating anti-inflammatory foods, and which conditions it works best for.

In reality, an anti-inflammatory diet is not that complicated, it mostly consists of eating minimally processed whole foods and keeping your intake of refined carbohydrates and processed fats to a minimum. Let's break it down.

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Blood Sugar, Insulin & Your Fertility

When I talk to my patients about which foods most dramatically affect their fertility, sugar and simple carbohydrates are one of the first topics we cover, especially because blood sugar imbalances can easily lead to endocrine and hormone imbalances. With Type II Diabetes is on the rise and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (which often involves Insulin Resistance) being the most common cause of infertility in America, I'm seeing more and more cases where diet and blood sugar levels make a huge impact on whether a woman can successfully conceive.

So let's talk about what causes these blood sugar and insulin imbalances, and what can be done to treat them.

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Best Bone Broth Ever!

If you read my article about Holistic Health during Cold & Flu Season, then I've already told you why adding bone broth to your diet is so important, but it's not just for the fall and wintertime. I recommend bone broth all year round, to patients, to friends, to family members, and there's one simple reason - it has so many benefits!

Joint pain? Digestive upset? Low energy? Compromised immunity? Feeling anxious? Menstrual cramps? Recovering from illness or injury? Looking for a fertility boost? Yep, bone broth can help! In fact drinking bone broth regularly has quickly become the single most common recommendation I give.

I've been making bone broth at home for years now and I'm proud to say I've gotten lots of other folks doing it too. I've refined my recipe into seriously the best bone broth ever and I want to share it with you so you can make it too, enjoy!

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Can you use Pumpkin Spice Medicinally?

This is a serious question! Many culinary herbs and spices are used in Chinese medicine and Western herbalism, so the popular seasonal spice mix might just help with a thing or two.

Let's first look at what's in pumpkin spice, aka pumpkin pie spice.

To be clear, pumpkin spice is just baking spices meant to be added into pumpkin pie, it contains no actual pumpkin. It's often added into recipes with pumpkin and sugar, but the spice blend on it's own has no other ingredients besides cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and sometimes allspice. These are all warming spices that improve digestion, but they all have slightly different functions.

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Foods for Implantation

Whether you're trying to conceive naturally or with Assisted Reproductive Technologies such as IVF or insemination, implantation is a crucial point in the conception process. Implantation happens when a developed embryo (at that point it's called a blastocyst) adheres to the wall of the uterus, usually 7-10 days after ovulation.

While implantation can happen all on its own without any support, many women who have had trouble conceiving want to do whatever they can to optimize their chances of getting pregnant. In fact, I get asked from my patients all the time, "what else can I do to encourage implantation?"

Of course moderate exercise, plenty of sleep, and stress management can help, but many of my patients who are trying to conceive already do that - so what else? Diet is another big factor that can effect conception.  Let's take a look at all the foods that can help your little blastocyst lay down some roots.

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How to Survive your First Whole30

I recently did my first Whole30, which is eating strict paleo for 30 days - no dairy, no sugar, no grains or legumes, no alcohol. The focus is on whole, minimally processed foods, avoiding preservatives, additives, artificial colors and processed foods.

I found it to be a great experience to reset ingrained habits, take a hard look at everything I was eating, and to get creative in the kitchen. If you're thinking about trying a Whole30 yourself, I say GO FOR IT! You can read about all the rules of the program on their website.

I'm not an affiliate or anything, in fact, there's no membership, meetings, or club to join. Just read about the program rules and eat that way for 30 days, that's it. There are Whole30 approved brands, recipes, meal plans, and books that you can use if you wish, but you don't have to use any of those to do Whole30 all on your own.

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