15 delicious foods to boost detox power

Quick factoid: While we all have a natural ability to break down and eliminate toxic chemicals and metals, those systems were designed to eliminate by-products of our daily activities—not overloaded by “better living through chemistry and technology”. Our liver, kidneys, and digestive tract are supposed to balance hormones (activate/inactivate as needed), neutralize cell waste products, balance electrolytes, and keep us energized all day long. But instead… Overloaded by environmental pollution, anti-food, medications, stressful lifestyles… our body can’t keep up! We quickly go out of balance, the accumulation of toxic substances creates chronic inflammation. Months and years later, we feel the … Continue reading

Gah! Menopausal spread. (Shhhh… it happens to guys too)

solve obesity, weight loss, hormone imbalance

Isn’t working out five times a week enough to avoid weight gain? And what is setting off that midnight (and morning, and after lunch, and before dinner… ) heat? Susan hadn’t changed her calories—or her workouts—since graduating college. But there it was: that pudge, bulge, and mid-section ten starting in her late 40’s. Why? Anne just wouldn’t lose weight no matter how hard she tried. After learning that midsection fat is the most likely to be associated with chronic inflammation and other health problems, she was ready to change and tried every diet—but her weight wasn’t. Why? Hormones out of whack … Continue reading

My 6 favorite pro-health and weight-loss hormones

Hormone (from Greek ὁρμή, “impetus”) n. a signaling molecule produced by glands and transported by the circulatory system to distant organs where they regulate physiology and behaviour. Thousands upon thousands of complex processes going on in your body are regulated by many dozens (and counting) of little proteins or modified cholesterol molecules called hormones. Which, ones are made at what time and in what amounts are regulated by what your body perceives it needs. Hormones influence everything from energy levels, sleep, digestion, fat-burning, fat-storing, sugar handling, hunger… to bone building, inflammation and ability to heal… and more. Hormones can coordinate their … Continue reading

Solving Chronic Inflammation

Meet the modern inflammatory diet. We are fatter and sicker—and extremely unhappy about being fatter and sicker—than ever before in history. Except, of course, anyone who has tried to actually do something about their health but given up—moving into the “nothing can be done about it” band. The studies are clear: where “modern” processed foods become the standard diet, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, cancer and other diseases of inflammation follow. When we abandon our traditional nourishing foods in favor of processed groceries high in sugar, processed grains, vegetable oils, and additives, we get sick. Of the top ten … Continue reading

Weight loss and the hCG diet

HCG Diet Products are Illegal

Four years ago my client who I’ll call Shane explained his frustration. He’d tried everything and was considering the hCG diet—priced at the time at $300 per week of participation, 4-6 weeks. He said it could be bought locally and self-administered… More than just a skeptic, by then I’d helped many individuals “recover” from this diet, individuals whose health declined, weight returned and now had new health problems. That said, just because I attract a group for whom a regimen doesn’t work doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad—we’re all different—but there sure have been a lot of folks… I kept my … Continue reading

“Crungry” Blood sugar imbalance affecting your memory?

kick the sugar habit

  Ah the dangers of high blood sugar… then the entire body response to lower toxic levels of blood sugar… and then… blood sugar goes too low… “Crungry”—you know… cranky because you’re hungry. Thinking it is about to starve and die, the body now creates a stress response: crankiness, cravings, anxiety, sometimes jitters and faint-headedness… It is such a primal response: low blood sugar = drastic moods and single-focus “feed me!” And we no longer care what. This primal single-focused subconscious drive throws out everything and goes for the fastest quick-fix money can buy at the closest convenience store: But … Continue reading

Solving the weight loss puzzle

solve obesity, weight loss, hormone imbalance

Solving the weight loss puzzle There are so many different diet and exercise plans to help us lose weight—almost a new one every day. Why? Because none of them actually work. Think about it. While there are certainly healthy ways to achieve your weight goals—the trick is to optimize your metabolism, the rate at which your body burns fuel—being overweight is a symptom. It takes more to address this than the one-size-fits-all programs you can read in a book or accomplish in a few weeks with some nutrishakes or low-calorie foods. Weight loss can’t be packaged and sold for cheap in bulk to the masses—with all … Continue reading

Why restoring gut balance comes first, and detoxifying second–Rejuveo

purposeful activities, enjoy life, whole foods nutrition, anchorage nutritionist, vitamins, healthy eating, optimal health

“Dysbiosis:” simply put, is when there is an imbalance between the types of bacteria and yeast living in you. And it ALSO is used to mean, harmful (disease-causing) bacteria, yeast and parasites are living in you (usually your gut). Most of us have this to some degree and don’t even know it. But you probably know with certainty that you have chronic indigestion, bloating, gas, alternating constipation and diarrhea, yeast infections / jock-like itches… and what about other common symptoms of dysbiosis like chronic fatigue, skin rashes, bad breath, thyroid problems, bladder infections, immune problems and even cancer, especially of … Continue reading

Therapeutic foods: the gut-brain connection

Food is Therapeutic. I love sharing good solid nutrition, rather than profit-based nutrition. Thought provoking… real… information, recipes, occasional book finds, and other things that you—the person seeking to rebalance health starting by rebalancing eating—finds really useful. Which brings me to today’s topic, beets! As a member of several professional groups focused on functional medicine and integrated nutrition, just about every day I get an email or six asking my thoughts about handling bloating, digestive upset…. more… or brain fog, tiredness, headaches, anxiety… more… A recent holistic health practitioner wrote: “Hello! I need some help figuring out my client’s brain fog and fatigue. She sent me this info … Continue reading

Sneaking sugars into kefir??

Coconut milk kefir probiotic

“You put sugar in your kefir, right?” (I’m sorry—did I hear that right????) “Well I was over buying coconut milk kefir and she said you put sugar in yours, that’s why her’s is better.” There I was, enjoying the company of the great clients who turned out for the first ever Fermentapalooza over at the Alaska Health Improvement Center, and suddenly there was this “You put sugar in your kefir?” question / statement. I am the mother who helps an entire football team develop iron-man stamina by finding alternates to sugary Gatorade, who applauds schools like Spring Hill in Anchorage for … Continue reading

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