Why do I talk about buying organic all the time? I grew up on a farm. I can remember running and playing in the fields. I also remember the planes flying through the sky, spraying the fields. Today, I know pesticides are connected to Parkinson’s disease later in life. I also know this fact through firsthand experience because my dad …
The Unsung Hero: Your Liver
When was the last time you thought about your liver? Well, for most of us, we ignore it. In a recent Detroit Free Press article, 20-something Allison Grainger shares how her liver affected her whole life. “The lethargy was so intense, the 26-year-old quit her job working as a spa concierge. Her primary care doctor sent her to a specialist, …
Can You Reverse Heart Disease?
You know that silly saying, “You are what you eat.” What might have started as a parental push to urge children to eat their veggies has more legitimacy than we may think. As I’ve been reviewing heart health information over the last few months, I’ve been reading about Dean Ornish, MD. Dr. Ornish’s premise is that we can not only …
Looking at the Whole Heart
We’ve been talking about metabolic syndrome recently and it’s a perfectly timed segue into February, often celebrated for love and everything related to hearts. (Check out the recent blogs to see the connection between heart health and metabolic syndrome.) Let’s build on this idea of heart health, but with an added perspective. In addition to the expected advice … like …
Does Metabolic Syndrome Explain Your Health?
The medical world can’t quite agree on what to call the metabolic dysfunction that affects more than 35 percent of the US population. You’ll hear metabolic disorder, metabolic syndrome, and metabolic disease, but these three names address the same health concern. Quoting from Healthline’s More than One-Third of Americans Have Dangerous Metabolic Syndrome, Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of as …
Clean Out Your Assumptions
We all make assumptions, but there is a fine line between intuiting (based on known factors) and assuming (based on supposed factors). Like author and habit expert James Clear writes, assumptions are “how we fool ourselves without realizing it” and fooling ourselves removes opportunities to learn. One of my many strategies as a functional medicine health coach is to guide …
Let’s talk more about the brain!
In June, we started talking about brain health and its connection to habits. Let’s expand on that idea … so do you think about your brain much? You should! The field of brain science and health is expanding every year. Not long ago, scientists believed that it was not possible to make new neurons. Now, we understand the brain more—and …
Habits for the brain—and the body
Well, I think I’m making a habit of talking about habits! I just can’t get away from all the amazing information and research on the influence of habits. Last month, we looked at the book Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear—and specifically the two-minute concept. This month, let’s …