Eating Healthy - 5 Myths About Nutrition that We’ve Been Fooled By

Healthy Eating Myths

Many of us are in a perpetual state of trying to eat healthy on a daily basis.

We are constantly looking and listening for the next trend, the next healthy eating tip, and listening for the buzz words.

We are just trying to do what’s best for our bodies.

In our modern world of AI and abundant information sources at our fingertips through social media and advanced search tools, it is no wonder we are confused by conflicting health claims.

It’s difficult to know when the source of these health claims is credible (or even human!).

So, what do we do?

We try ALL the things.

• We buy the products that have the healthy eating buzz words.

• We don’t question when our health care providers prescribe a diet, medication, or technique that will make us healthier.

• We live by old rules of healthy eating, assuming the research has withstood time.

• We don’t do the research ourselves, because who has the time?!

so, why listen to me?

I am a human, first of all, and an expert in holistic nutrition.

I am trained to find the root causes of symptoms by assessing the whole person, to educate my clients on what is happening in their bodies, and to support them as they work to repair it.

My clients seek me out because, like you, they’ve tried all the things and have had little to no results, and they’ve heard I can change that.

They come to me when they want answers, because nothing else is working.

This article focuses on common myths about nutrition that I’ve heard directly from clients.

Let’s clear the air about eating healthy, and take a step toward redefining health.

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5 myths about nutrition

Here’s the thing: You already know your body needs carbohydrates for energy production. (and if you didn’t, now you do!)

And when carbohydrates are not available, our body has the ability to convert fats into carbohydrates to use for energy (if this system is working properly).

However, we commonly fall into the trap of health claims that promise weight loss goals and beach-ready bods if we cut them out completely.

THE UPSIDE OF CARBOHYDRATES

• ENERGY: Carbohydrates are broken down more readily into glucose (1), the smallest form of sugar. In ideal health, glucose is shuttled into cells with the help of insulin, where is it used in the production of ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate), which can be thought of as fuel for our cells’ functioning (different cells have different functions - nerves, immune cells, blood cells, brain cells, tissue cells, etc.).

• FIGHT AND PREVENT DISEASE: Whole food forms of carbohydrates also contain other important nutrients that help stabilize the breakdown of the carbohydrate into glucose(2). Nutrients like fiber, antioxidants, minerals, protein, and fats have multiple health benefits, such as lowering cholesterol, preventing chronic illness like diabetes, lowering inflammation, and supporting the immune system.

• DELICIOUS!: They’re delicious and come from a wide variety of foods! Many hear the word “carbs” and think “sugar”, but good quality carbohydrates come from legumes, beans, whole grains, and colorful vegetables and fruits.

THE DOWNSIDE OF CARBOHYDRATES

• MUCH OF WHAT WE CONSUME IS REFINED: Poor quality carbohydrates (and a lack of balance between other macronutrients) are everywhere, and are marketed as a way of making us think they are healthy foods. Look at the ingredients list of most foods labeled “gluten-free”, “low fat”, “lite”, “cauliflower crust”, or “100 calorie pack”, and I would bet good money that those products are loaded with heavily processed starches and sugars, which break down more rapidly into glucose, causing issues like insulin resistance, diabetes, and weight gain. READ MORE ABOUT THIS PROCESS HERE.

• UNNECESSARY WEIGHT GAIN: When out of balance with protein and fats, carbs cause us to gain unwanted weight because they reduce the efficacy of insulin (remember the hormone that shuttles glucose into cells for energy production?).

• FEED UNWANTED GUT PATHOGENS: Carbs (especially refined, or processed) make us more hungry, and cause us to want to eat more often. These carbohydrates not only feed unwanted gut pathogens that our body would normally be able to fight off, but snacking or grazing, disables an important mechanism called the Migrating Motor Complex, which is necessary to keep gut pathogens out. READ MORE ABOUT THE MIGRATING MOTOR COMPLEX HERE.

CHOOSE YOUR CARBOHYDRATES CAREFULLY

Pairing your carbs with quality fats, proteins, and fiber, will help slow the breakdown of carbs into glucose, and help you feel hungry less often. When you do choose carbohydrates, choose from this list:

• beans/legumes (sprouted preferably)

• dark, leafy greens

• whole fruits (in small doses)

• whole, sprouted grains - did you know that white rice has had its hull removed (where all the good fiber lives) in a process called “polishing”? Choosing wild rices and ancient grains that have not been processed is the best way to ensure you are getting the whole grain.

• starchy vegetables (in small doses)

“I just want a clean slate,” is common for me to hear.

People come to me after hearing about some new liver cleanse, or juice cleanse, and want affirmation from me that it’s the right move.

The hard truth? I’m not a fan.

Intense, focused cleanses like this are necessary in specific circumstances, such as when the liver needs to be intensely supported in order to clear out gut pathogens.

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USE CAUTION

🚩Practitioners that sell a detox or cleanse product to anyone without evaluating their health, is a red flag in my book.🚩

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A detox or cleanse will not give you a clean slate, and will not resolve your symptoms unless you are also working systemically to repair the root cause(s).

These products are a band-aid fix that might help you feel better temporarily, but blatantly ignore the underlying causes of the issue at hand.

The better answer?

Find a practitioner who will assess your body’s unique health needs and find the root causes of your symptoms. (👋 I CAN HELP!)

If a detox or cleanse is necessary to resolve your symptoms at a foundational level, a good practitioner will guide you through it and adapt it to your body’s unique health needs.

You may have heard in the past few years, that the old “research” telling us that fats were bad, has long since been debunked (3).

We need fat for cellular health, to regulate inflammation, to transport nutrients throughout the body, to make reproductive and stress hormones, for brain function… the list goes on.

Eating healthy fats is the key here, while avoiding heavily processed fats and oils that are far more destructive to your health.

So, yes, if you are someone who consumes a diet rich in packaged foods (even if they are marketed as “healthy foods”), then the fats you are consuming probably are “bad”.

There is a lot to say about this subject, but I’m going to pull out the very foundational pieces for the sake of this article. FOR THOSE WHO WANT A MORE DETAILED LOOK, TAP HERE.

Here’s the dirty truth about fats.

1. INFLAMMATION: Oils and fats that are marketed to us as being healthy foods, are commonly made with heavily processed fats and chemicals to replace fats and add texture.

   When a fat is heated, the electrical properties of the molecules change, and become unstable. These new unstable molecules are called “free radicals".

   When free radicals are present, because they are unstable, they literally bounce around erratically, causing damage to the surrounding cells and molecules until they are removed, or re-stabilized.

   The damage caused by free radicals not only causes a chronic inflammatory response, but also damages important cells, like nerve cells. If you know anyone with Type II Diabetes who suffers from Peripheral Neuropathy, this is exactly what is happening.

   The most disturbing part of this is when a fat (or any food) is broken down like this, it is a form of decay. When a food starts to decay, rot, or spoil (say, in your refrigerator), what is the first thing we notice? The smell. Oil manufacturers add deodorizers to these heavily processed oils to cover up the smell that is made to deter us from eating something that is harmful to our health(4).

2. CELLULAR HEALTH: We know from looking at different types of fat molecules, known as fatty acids, that some fats are more flowing and pliable, and some fats (trans fats are the biggest culprit) are more rigid in structure.

   Cell walls are made mostly of fats in the form of phospholipids. We need those cell walls to be pliable in order to be able to transfer nutrients into and out of the cell.

   This transfer happens constantly and for many different reasons. But a good example we’ve already covered is the transferring of glucose into the cell for the production of ATP.

   When we eat a diet higher in processed food and poor quality fats, the structure of our cells suffers. Rather than being soft and pliable, and welcoming to nutrients, the walls are rigid, stiff, and have sharp edges. This structure inhibits nutrients from being transferred across the cell wall effectively, effectively preventing from important metabolic processes to occur.

SO, WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?

Simple. Choose better fats.

It’s not enough to choose packaged foods that are labeled “no trans fats”, or “heart healthy”, because those terms are not regulated.

Take steps toward replacing your current oils and fats with fats from this list:

• cold-pressed, or virgin oils from naturally high-fat foods, such as olives, avocados, and coconut

• avoid seed oils when ever possible

• real butter from grass-fed cows

• rendered animal fats, such as duck fat or beef tallow

• ghee - this is a clarified butter that is shelf stable and is commonly better tolerated for those who have a hard time digesting dairy

If you have ever followed the show The Biggest Loser, and seen the lasting effects of the “calories in, calories out” approach to weight loss, it’s pretty easy to see that the results do not last.

For a short time, yes, consuming fewer calories than you burn will cause you to lose weight.

But your body is a fascinating thing. In order to keep you alive, it will adapt to circumstances like calorie restrictions. Your body views calorie restriction as though you are in famine, in which there is a threat of starvation.

This sudden loss of fat triggers a process called metabolic adaptation, in which the body’s resting metabolic rate slows in an effort to keep you alive (5)

What’s even more interesting, is that proper fasting and re-feeding techniques, wherein calorie restriction is not the goal, this metabolic slowing does not occur, but instead helps the body improve systems of metabolic switching (6). 👉READ MORE ABOUT INTERMITTENT FASTING BENEFITS HERE.

This is the number one reason I do the work that I do.

THE DIRTY TRUTH:

We are a society bombarded with constant, and often conflicting, health claims. None of which are able to consider your body’s individual health needs, experiences, and lifestyle.

My mission is to redefine how you look at health. To educate and empower you to advocate for your health by finding the root causes of your symptoms, and resolving these underlying factors.

Your symptoms are your body’s way of communicating what it has experienced, and those experiences are different for everyone.

Put more simply:

• Vegan eating will not solve your health problems unless animal products are the cause of your health problems.

• Eating foods that are gluten-free will not solve your health problems unless gluten is the cause of your health problems.

• Restricting calories will not solve your weight problem unless too many calories are the cause of your weight gain.

The only way to truly improve health, stop feeling bloated, lose weight, reduce pain, get rid of acne, and enjoy looking at yourself in the mirror again, is to get individualized support.

Your health is not defined by numbers on a scale.

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so, what?

Feeling defeated by the rules and restrictions of dieting?

If so, then tap that button below.

I’ve got your back.

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was this helpful?

Any surprises for you in reading this?

Any “ah-ha!” moments?

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

NUTRITION SERVICES

• Private Coaching

• Functional Lab Testing

• Online Courses

• One-Time Assessment

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BLOG REFERENCES:

1. Mayo Clinic Staff. (2022, March 22). Choose your Carbs wisely. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705

2. Ludwig, D. S., Hu, F. B., Tappy, L., & Brand-Miller, J. (2018, June 13). Dietary carbohydrates: Role of quality and quantity in chronic disease. BMJ (Clinical research ed.). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5996878/

3. Ramsden, C. E., Zamora, D., Majchrzak-Hong, S., Faurot, K. R., Broste, S. K., Frantz, R. P., Davis, J. M., Ringel, A., Suchindran, C. M., & Hibbeln, J. R. (2016, April 12). Re-evaluation of the traditional diet-heart hypothesis: Analysis of recovered data from Minnesota Coronary Experiment (1968-73). The BMJ. https://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i1246

4. Negash, Y. A., Amare, D. E., Bitew, B. D., & Dagne, H. (2019, December 4). Assessment of quality of edible vegetable oils accessed in Gondar city, Northwest Ethiopia - BMC Research notes. BioMed Central. https://bmcresnotes.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13104-019-4831-x

5. Johannsen, Darcy L, et al. “Metabolic Slowing with Massive Weight Loss despite Preservation of Fat-Free Mass.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, U.S. National Library of Medicine, July 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3387402/#:~:text=Despite%20relative%20preservation%20of%20FFM,or%20caloric%20restriction%20are%20maintained.

6. Vasim, Izzah, et al. “Intermittent Fasting and Metabolic Health.” Nutrients, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 31 Jan. 2022, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8839325/#:~:text=During%20prolonged%20periods%20of%20fasting,for%20many%20tissues%20especially%20brain.

Magnesium Benefits - What is Magnesium Good For and What Are Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms?

Magnesium benefits simplified

You’ve probably heard that magnesium is something we all need more of.

When I hear a health claim, I am careful to not take it at face value. I do my own research and make the decision for myself.

It’s true, my education taught me that, yes, magnesium is very important for our bodies.

But why? What are the benefits of magnesium? How do we know if we’re getting enough? If we take ‘enough’ magnesium, is the quality of the source we’re ingesting actually usable by our bodies?

I’ve compiled my research right here for you to peruse and make the decision for yourself.

Much of my information comes from Dr. Alan Gaby’s book. Nutritional Medicine (Gaby, A. (2017). Nutritional Medicine; Second Edition. Fritz Perlberg Publishing. )

References are provided throughout the article when additional information has been sourced.

what is magnesium?

Magnesium benefits are better understood when we also look at what magnesium is, and where it comes from.

MAGNESIUM BENEFITS AND FACTS:

• Magnesium is an essential mineral, meaning our body cannot create it, and it is essential to biochemical functions. It needs to be consumed from foods, supplements, and topical agents.

• Magnesium is an electrolyte mineral, meaning it carries an electrical charge important to nutrient transfer across cellular walls, hydration of cells, and nerve conduction.

• Magnesium is involved in over 600 (2) enzyme and biochemical reactions in the body, affecting muscle tissue, heart, and bone tissue.

• Magnesium is essential for energy production in cells, known as Adenosine Triphosphate, or ATP(2).

• Magnesium is necessary for regulating neuronal activity (messenger cells), heart contractions, and electrical properties of cell walls.

• Magnesium improves blood flow by dilating blood vessels and preventing platelet aggregation.

• Magnesium is necessary for the breakdown of fats and carbohydrates and for the production of glutathione, an important nutrient for liver function and energy production.

• 60% of magnesium in your body is found in bones, and 38-39% in cells (1)

• Magnesium is anti-spasmodic, meaning it calms excited tissues in your heart, muscles, and intestines

• Magnesium is essential for potassium uptake into cells

sources of magnesium

Because magnesium is an essential mineral, we need to be intentional about consuming it in order to see magnesium benefits.

But as with most things in nutrition, the quality of magnesium makes a great impact on whether or not your body will be able to use this important nutrient.

FOODS HIGH IN MAGNESIUM

• green, leafy vegetables (spinach, kale, chard, collard greens)

• kelp/seaweed

• nuts + seeds (especially pumpkin seeds, or pepitas)

• whole, sprouted grains (more on sprouting further in the article)

• sprouted legumes

• dairy products (learn why dairy quality matters)

WHY SPROUTED?

Sprouting grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds ensures you get the most magnesium benefits that you possibly can out of your food.

In fact, more than 80% of magnesium is lost in refined grains (wheat and rice), and 50-75% is lost when vegetables are boiled (1). Those numbers are astronomical!

In their whole food forms, nuts, seeds, legumes, and grains, all contain vast amounts of magnesium. However, in these foods, magnesium is bound to something called phytate. In order for magnesium to be absorbed by your body, it must detach from phytate, and re-bind (or chelate) with a nutrient that enables it to be absorbed.

Human bodies do not produce the type of enzyme required for this detachment to occur. Therefore, phytate is known as an anti-nutrient.

And what is the point in consuming all that magnesium if you can’t use it?

Sprouting (and fermenting, as in sourdough) is a natural process that detaches phytate from magnesium (and other important minerals), enabling magnesium to be absorbed by your body (YAY!). 👉Here is my favorite resource for sprouting.

But refined grains are not the only thing preventing you from getting magnesium benefits.

what prevents magnesium absorption?

Our modern world has brought us some truly great innovations. But there are also many unintended consequences that have occured.

The widespread need for mass-producing foods affordably, and shipping them to far-off places is one of the biggest setbacks in maintaining nutrient density in our foods. But also medications that are taken too liberally, or without much (if any) patient education.

THINGS THAT PREVENT MAGNESIUM ABSORPTION

• the use of heartburn medications - PPIs, or Proton Pump Inhibitors, drastically interfere with magnesium absorption (not to mention, indicate your digestive health is suffering)(1)

• the use of anti-histamines (1)

• imbalance of dietary or supplemental calcium and phosphorus (3) - these minerals are known to compete with magnesium, and thus need to be consumed in balance of one another

• poor digestion

• the presence of phytate or phytic acid

magnesium deficiency symptoms

The numbers vary depending on what source you use, but according to Dr. Gaby, the recommended daily intake of magnesium is 400-420mg for adult males, and the recommended daily intake of magnesium for adult females is 310-320mg (1).

Remember, that’s assuming your body is able to absorb the magnesium you’re ingesting.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include:

• anxiety/depression (5,6,7)

• fatigue

• insomnia

• panic attacks

• muscle cramps

• chest tightness/hyperventilation

• memory loss

• trouble concentrating

• headaches

• digestive issues

• heart palpitations

More severe magnesium deficiency can cause symptoms such as:

• abnormal gait (walking abnormally)

• vertigo

• muscle weakness

• electrolyte disturbances (you might feel dehydrated)

• muscle twitches

• stupor

• coma

You can see by this list how important it is to get good quality magnesium in your daily routine.

Do you have any of these symptoms? Has anyone ever told you to try magnesium? Share your experience in the comments. I am curious to hear how it worked out for you!

magnesium absorption

The research is fairly similar across the board in regards to the absorbability of magnesium (4).

We discussed earlier things that can prevent magnesium absorption (un-sprouted foods, heartburn medications, allergy medications, etc.).

But what is the best magnesium for absorption?

One thing to keep in mind is that topical supplementation of magnesium is going to be better absorbed, because it gets absorbed directly into the the blood stream without having to be digested.

However, if your digestion works well, and you are consuming highly bioavailable sources of magnesium (as discussed above), you may be enjoying magnesium benefits through diet alone.

👉👉 READ MORE ON IMPROVING DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Below is a list of the most common types of magnesium supplements you will find, and is certainly not an exhaustive list.

RUNDOWN ON MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS (1)

• Magnesium Oxide: Cheapest to to produce, not well absorbed.

• Magnesium Aspartate: More completely absorbed in the gut. Aspartate increases cellular uptake of Magnesium and Potassium.

• Magnesium Citrate: More completely absorbed in the gut. Tends to cause loose stools.

• Magnesium Sulfate: Better absorbed through the skin. Sulfate inhibits reabsorption by the kidneys.

• Magnesium Chloride: Less absorbable in the gut, but is known to cause skin irritations when applied topically.

• Magnesium Glycinate/BisGlycinate: Absorbed well in the gut. Does not commonly cause loose stools.

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was this helpful?

What’s your experience with magnesium? Have your healthcare providers ever educated you on the importance of quality and balance when it comes to supplementing?

Tell me about your experience in the comments.

NUTRITION SERVICES

• Private Coaching

• Functional Lab Testing

• Online Courses

• One-Time Assessment

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MORE RESOURCES

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BLOG REFERENCES:

1. Gaby, A. (2017). Nutritional Medicine; Second Edition. Fritz Perlberg Publishing

2. Jaeger, G. (2020, May 20). The health benefits of magnesium supplements. Nordic Naturals. https://www.nordic.com/healthy-science/benefits-of-magnesium/

3. Medeiros, D. M., & Wildman, R. E. C. (2019). Advanced Human Nutrition (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

4. Blancquaert, L., Vervaet, C., & Derave, W. (2019, July 20). Predicting and testing bioavailability of magnesium supplements. Nutrients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683096/

5. E;, S. A. A. (n.d.). Magnesium and depression. Magnesium research. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27910808/

6. Tarleton, E. K., Littenburg, B., Maclean, C. D., Kennedy, A. G., & Daley, C. (2017, June 27). Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28654669/

7. Derom, M.-L., Sayón-Orea, C., Martínez-Ortega, J. M., & Martínez-González, M. A. (2013, September 16). Magnesium and depression: A systematic review. Nutritional neuroscience. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321048/

Food Sensitivity Testing - Is It Legit?

Food Sensitivity Testing

Food sensitivity testing has been a hot topic in the media for the past few years.

And quite frankly, until I began to educate myself on the effects food sensitivities in long term health and whole-body health, I thought it was a load of hot garbage.

The media has not done a great job at educating us on what food sensitivities actually are, what causes them, and how they affect your health.

So, I’m here to fill the gaps for you.

As an inflammatory health expert, I can tell you that using food sensitivity tests to address inflammation is a big piece of the puzzle, and has the ability to reduce pain, improve long-term health, and prevent chronic illnesses such as diabetes and autoimmune disease.

In this article, we’re going to cover the following topics:

• What are food sensitivities?

• How are food sensitivities different from food allergies?

• What’s the best food sensitivity test available?

• Can I recover or heal from food sensitivities? Or am I stuck with it?

Much of the information in this article is referenced from experiential knowledge, in addition to the book Food Allergies and Food Intolerance (Brostoff, J., & Gamlin, L. (2000). Food Allergies and Food Intolerance: The complete guide to their identification and treatment. Healing Arts Press.).

Additional research was done to fill in the gaps. Those references can be found throughout the article.

what are food sensitivities?

A food sensitivity occurs when a food particle, known as an antigen, is recognized as foreign, triggering an immune response. Antibodies known as immunoglobulins, recognize and bind to these foreign “invaders” and work to eliminate them as though they would a virus or other pathogen.

Once initially recognized as foreign (more on why that occurs later in the post), the immune system creates antibodies that remember and recognize when the culprit food is present, causing an immune reaction each time the food is ingested. This type of reaction and memory is known as the adaptive immune system.

There are three main types of immunoglobulins involved in food sensitivities:

• IgA - Primarily lives in, and protects, the mucosal barrier of tissues in the digestive tract, lungs, and sinuses.

• IgG - Patrols the blood throughout the body, and the most common type of food sensitivity responder.

• IgM - The initial antibody produced by the adaptive immune system in response to an antigen (1).

These types of immune responses trigger inflammatory mediators and cytokines. Cytokines are various types of proteins whose roles are to fight, destroy, and even “eat” pathogens (2).

Common Symptoms of Food Sensitivities Include:

• headache

• migraine

• fatigue (feeling tired/low energy, without explanation)

• depression/anxiety

• hyperactivity (more common in children)

• recurrent mouth ulcers

• aching muscles

• vomiting

• nausea

• stomach ulcers

• diarrhea

• diagnosis of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

• constipation

• flatulence/bloat

• diagnosis of Crohn’s

• joint pain/Rheumatoid Arthritis

• edema (swelling or water retention in joints)

When a food becomes an antigen, and it’s consumed often, you can imagine the impact this would have on inflammation and pain levels.

food sensitivities vs. food allergies

It’s important to understand the difference between food sensitivities and food allergies mainly for two reasons:

1. Reactions to food allergies can be potentially fatal

2. Reactions to food sensitivities are more likely to cause long-term health conditions that can be confused for other issues.

So, what’s the difference?

We discussed how the immunoglobulins (antibodies) responsible for food sensitivity reactions are IgA, IgG, and IgM.

The immunoglobulin responsible for food allergy reaction is known as IgE.

Think of it this way:

Think of the ‘G’ in IgG (remember, this is the most common responder in food sensitivities) as standing for ‘Gradual’ (it doesn’t in actuality, but play along). Food sensitivities have a more gradual reaction, often manifesting within 12-72 hours of consuming the culprit food.

Whereas the ‘E’ in IgE could stand for ‘Emergency’. Food allergies typically have a more immediate response (within seconds or minutes), and often require emergency care.

IgE molecules bind to receptors on mast cells (a type of immune cell that lines connective tissues such as under the skin, nerves, lungs, and intestines (3)) and look for allergens - factors (in this case, foods) that cause an allergic response.

Once the allergen binds to the IgE molecule, the mast cell ruptures and releases mediators to fight or engulf the invader (this rupturing is called degranulation). These mediators trigger an inflammatory response, signal other immune cells, and cause blood vessels to widen.

This is why food allergy symptoms often include:

• hives

• itching

• trouble breathing

• redness

• swelling

• abdominal cramping

• diarrhea

food sensitivity testing

Depending on who you talk to, there is no one test that is superior to others. The best tests are going to reflect the type of work you are doing with your practitioner.

Because I specialize in helping individuals reduce inflammation and repair gut health, it’s important to me to use a test that differentiates between the types of antibodies, helping you recognize symptoms much more easily, re-establishing your intuition, and growing connection with your body.

For this reason, I prefer to use a panel that tests for both IgA and IgG, and differentiates between the two. The test kit you get from me is an at-home dried blood spot kit, no need to go to a lab.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT THAN OTHER ONLINE FOOD SENSITIVITY TESTS?

There is a big piece missing when using online testing services you might have heard of.

That missing piece is support in getting rid of food sensitivities.

Yep! You read that correctly.

Food sensitivities are most commonly caused by poor digestion and damaged intestinal lining (leaky gut). While food allergies often have a genetic factor, food sensitivities are more commonly caused by food experiences, and can be reversed!

READ MORE ABOUT HOW LEAKY GUT CAUSES FOOD SENSITIVITIES IN THIS ARTICLE

These online food sensitivity tests might tell you which foods to avoid, but they are not able to assess your body’s unique digestive health needs. Getting tested under the care of a holistic provider like myself enables you to get the individualized support you need to overcome food sensitivities by addressing the root cause.

Getting tested for food sensitivities does not mean you have to give up the foods you love.

With the right support, it is possible to enjoy those foods again without having an immune reaction.

How cool is that?!

takeaways

Think you might have food sensitivities?

Want to ditch your diarrhea, constipation, anxiety, fatigue, congestion, chronic pain, and headaches?

You are in the right place.

Click the button below to get connected with me so we can chat about it.

NUTRITION SERVICES

• Private Coaching

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• Online Courses

• One-Time Assessment

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Seasonal Allergies and Gut Health

Allergy Symptoms

It is not uncommon to know someone, maybe yourself, who suffers from seasonal allergies with symptoms like red, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, coughing, asthma symptoms, and skin rashes.

But seasonal allergies are not merely the cards you’ve been dealt (1). While it’s true there can be some genetic factors involved, most of my clients’ seasonal allergy reactions to things like mold or pollen are reduced when we address gut health and especially liver health.

Sure, you could take antihistamine medication and that might help improve allergy symptoms for a time. But you may also be making the problem worse over time.

You don’t have to suffer. You can reduce allergy symptoms and eliminate dependence on antihistamines. The solution is simpler than you think, and can be done easily and naturally with the right support.

Put simply, seasonal allergies are a strong indication that the liver is overburdened (2).

Your liver is responsible for hundreds of functions in the body, including preparing toxins for elimination before they can cause harm, breaking down fats, regulating blood sugar levels, manufacturing cholesterol, regulating hormone balance, and more.

For many decades, our modern lifestyle of increased stress and processed foods has increased our toxic burden drastically, which increases the burden on the liver to eliminate such toxins.

Pair it with our increased tendencies toward Leaky Gut, or intestinal hyperpermeability, and the toxic burden increases even more.

Learn more about Leaky Gut: How Your Chewing Technique is causing  Leaky Gut.

When the liver is over burdened, toxins build up and trigger an immune system reaction in effort to deal with the threat. Our immune system becomes overreactive and begins reacting to things that are not actually a threat (such as pollen, grass, or even foods).

This is the beginning of seasonal allergy symptoms.

Bottom line:

Addressing liver health is the key to seasonal allergy relief.

That said, the liver is not the only causative factor in your allergy symptoms. In order to effectively support the liver and improve its function, it’s important to also look at digestion and gut health (3, 4), as each factor affects the other.

When working with clients to address seasonal allergies, the liver is one leg of a three-legged stool approach to achieving hormone balance:

What does it mean to support liver health?

Supporting liver health does not necessarily mean an intensive liver cleanse or liver detox, although some practitioners may recommend that.

Depending on the severity of symptoms and lab reports, it may be as simple as implementing dietary changes and balancing your blood sugar. It may also require the use of nutrients known to support liver detoxification and clearing of fatty deposits.

An individualized assessment from a qualified practitioner will help determine that.

Factors that can add to toxic burden of the liver are:

• medications, prescription and OTC (including antihistamines)

• processed foods (artificial colors, emulsifiers, preservatives, and binders all need to be dealt with by the liver)

• refined sugars and grains

• alcohol

• excess hormones (when stress or reproductive hormones are out of balance, the liver is responsible for eliminating them)

• poor quality fats

• endotoxins produces by stealth pathogens, such as candida (5), bacteria (6), and potentially parasites (7)

Benefits of supporting the liver are:

• improved cholesterol

• fewer allergy symptoms (food and environmental)

• improved blood sugar management

• improved digestion

• clearer skin

• balanced hormones

So, why is addressing gut health also essential to allergy symptom relief?

When referring to “gut health” in this article, these are the factors involved:

• digestion - organs, enzymes, and muscle tissues involved in digesting foods.

• mucosal tissue - tissue that lines the intestines that acts as part of our immune system, but also allows nutrients to be absorbed into the blood stream once broken down fully.

• microbiome - “beneficial” bacteria strains meant to live in the large intestine and feed off of undigestible foods (fiber) to produce short chain fatty acids that maintain the integrity of mucosal tissue.

Compromised digestion often leads to leaky gut, pathogenic infections such as candida, H. pylori, or bacteria, inflamed and damaged mucosal tissue (further exacerbated by antihistamines and NSAIDS).

Learn more about digestive health: Digestion, Back to Basics

Increased toxins and heightened immune activity due to pathogenic infections and leaky gut are common contributors to seasonal allergy symptoms.

So, allow me to revise my earlier statement:

Addressing gut health and liver health are essential to allergy symptom relief.

Here’s the juicy part you came here for…

Lifestyle changes you can make today to support liver function and gut health:

• Eat more richly colored fruits and vegetables: There is evidence to show that polyphenols found in richly colored plant foods are very effective at reducing histamine response (Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, J. E. (2014). The encyclopedia of natural medicine. Simon & Schuster).

• Eat more quercetin-rich foods: Quercetin is a potent and natural antihistamine. Foods high in quercetin include onions, sage, parsley, citrus, nettle, and apples (Murray, M. T., Pizzorno, J. E., & Pizzorno, L. (2006). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Time Warner International.).

• Balance your blood sugar: The conversion of excess sugar into storage as fats can cause fatty deposits in the liver. Eating a diet of whole, single ingredient foods, with a focus on protein and green leafy vegetables each meal will go a long way in helping balance your blood sugar and improving liver function. Learn more: Balancing Blood Sugar.

• Eat more bitter herbs (especially before meals): Consuming bitter herbs and foods before meals, such as arugula, dandelion greens, horseradish, or grapefruit, will stimulate digestive enzymes, hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) production, and bile flow, thus improving digestive function (and liver health!).

• Chew your food: Healthy digestion will stimulate good quality bile from the liver, and ensure your body is able to absorb and use the nutrients you are getting from your foods. Chewing your food is an important part of that process, and something we often don’t do adequately. If you feel the need to “wash down” your food with a beverage, chew more!

penny for your thoughts?

How have seasonal allergies affected you? Have any of your healthcare providers ever explained this side of it to you?

Tell me about it in the comments below.

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My Favorite Earth Friendly Products

earth day 2025

I am early to the Earth Day 2025 game (for once!).

Regardless of whether you are celebrating Earth Day 2025, or simply want more ways to align your actions with your beliefs, I am here to help you!

I am on my own journey of learning what products are feasible for my family to use that are more friendly to our bodies and to the planet.

Tried-and-true, the products I recommend below are items I use (or have used) in my own home in my efforts to save the world.

why change?

It’s difficult to argue that our lifestyles need to be more conducive to the health of our planet.

But since we’ve evolved into this highly convenient, single-use world, sustainable products are currently more of a novelty (and priced as such), and the opposite is considered “conventional” or “traditional”.

But we can change that.

One of the reasons we choose these “conventional” products that are typically more harmful, is because they are convenient, accessible, and affordable.

That’s hard to argue.

But again, it’s about aligning your actions with your beliefs. If you believe the Earth is worth celebrating on Earth Day 2024, what are you doing to live that out on a daily basis?

good, better, best

When it comes to choosing healthy foods or sustainable household products, we all need to consider many things such as:

• affordability

• time

• beliefs about results

• availability

• other people in our home

• allergies/sensitivities

• religious restrictions

This is where the Good, Better, Best mindset comes into play. This is one of the many golden nuggets I teach to my clients working through the Cut the Crap course.

Point is, you do not owe anyone an explanation for your choice. You get to make those choices, having considered each of these factors, and choose the most feasible for you or your family.

It’s unfortunate that the word “conventional” equates to more harmful in most cases.

But we are all just trying to do our best, right?

And in my efforts to save the world for Earth Day 2025, I’ve tried a few products that I want to share with you that work well for me and my family.

**I have no affiliation with these products and companies. I just dig them and think you will too!

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my favorite products for Earth Day 2025

FOOD STORAGE

Two of my favorite disposable food storage replacements have easily been Bee’s Wrap, and BioBag Resealable Bags.

Bee’s Wrap

This has been one of my favorite kitchen substitutes for plastic wrap. Not only is plastic film not recyclable in most city recycling programs, it releases harmful toxins into your food when heated.

This bee’s wax wrap is compostable, forms to the food or container, easy to clean, and you can buy it in pre-cut sheets, or a roll similar to plastic wrap.

BioBag

I’ve tried a lot of these compostable bag products, and BioBag takes the cake! The other brands I’ve tried have fallen apart so easily, but BioBag holds up.

We tried opting out of plastic baggies altogether, but that was not working well for our family. While I use them much less frequently now, opting for sealable glass dishes and jars, these bags are nice to have around.

**I still have not found a good compostable kitchen garbage bag I like (even BioBag doesn’t hold up well for larger kitchen containers). Please share in the comments if you have found one you like!

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POWDERED DISH SOAP

For a long while, I was mostly concerned about what was in the dish soap that affected my body, and to some extent, the earth.

But as I’ve dug deeper into my beliefs over the past years, I recognized that, while your body’s health is important to consider, there are these nuanced ways in which these “healthy” products are still causing a lot of harm.

In my case, it was recognizing the amount of plastic being used to package my now “healthy” dish soap choices.

So, for a hot minute I tried two different types of solid dish soaps from Package Free that I did NOT like. They were messy, smelled horrible, and were expensive.

I gave solid dish soaps a solid try, and they were a solid no-go for my family.

But Blueland changed all that with their powdered dish soap. It smells like nothing, cuts grease, suds up nicely, is not messy (when I opt to use the silicone dispenser bottle they also provide)… it’s a win in my book!

Here’s a link to their powdered dish soap.

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TABLET REFILLS FOR VARIOUS SPRAY CLEANERS

I’ve seen many of these begin to pop up, and the ones I’ve tried have been great.

It’s worth noting here that just like with food, just because something claims to be “healthy” does not mean it is. These are not all created equal (remember when we thought Subway was healthy?).

The brands I’m recommending here are good quality and well sourced. I believe that, in conjunction with sustainability, is what makes them the superior choice. Not the mere fact that they prevent plastic usage.

Here are the ones I’ve tried and love:

• Blueland Glass Cleaner

• Meliora All-Purpose Cleaner (I only recently learned about this company and now want to try ALL of their products)

• Blueland Bathroom Cleaner

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HAND SOAP, BODY WASH, and SHAMPOO

The truth is, I have a hard time with this one.

Certainly the plastics from liquid soap refills are not planet-friendly, even if the soap is.

And I don’t know what it’s like in your home, but I find that thanks to our heavily manufactured world, even supposedly earth-friendly soap dispensers are cheaply made and I end up tossing those out often, anyways.

So, my recommendation here is old-school - bar soap.

I’ve even found some that are packaged in earth-friendly boxes or paper and do not use plastic film to wrap them.

If you’re local to the Pacific NorthWest, PCC (a local co-op) carries many options, including its own brand.

But my favorite that I’ve been using recently is called Ethique. They make body soaps, face, hand, and shampoo.

Here is the link to their site.

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PAPER PRODUCTS

I know families who go through paper towels by the Costco pack every two weeks.

We use things like paper towels, toilet paper, and cotton swabs, because they are convenient, disposable, and keep us from having to touch gross things.

Not only are many of these conventional products made with unsustainable products, but they are treated with harmful chemicals like chlorine bleach, in manufacturing.

And have you noticed they are nearly always wrapped in plastic film?

Interestingly… did you know that products like Kleenex tissues don’t break down like toilet paper? They are often filled with things like lotions and products that prevent them from doing so, and are not even supposed to be flushed down the toilet.

The increasing production of more bamboo (highly sustainable) and cotton (biodegradable) products to replace these has grown over the past few years, and I’ve tried a few…

Here are some of my favorites:

• Caboo Bamboo Paper Towels - They make other products like toilet paper, but I prefer a different brand that I’ll recommend below.

• Who Gives a Crap Toilet Paper - Wrapped in planet-friendly packaging. They also sell paper towels and facial tissues (and give back to the environment and communities)

• UNPaper Towels - The brand I purchased long ago, and have been using ever since, no longer seems to be available. This link is to a brand I have not tried, but don’t be afraid to search around for a good quality product.

• Cotton Handkerchiefs - My partner and I bought these in order to make masks at the beginning of the COVID pandemic, and ended up loving using them instead of disposable tissues. I’ve not purchased a single box of Kleenex in years.

• Bamboo Q-Tips - For a hot minute, we tried nixing the disposables altogether, and opting for reusable Q-tips until the end of one fell off in my ear and instigated an Urgent Care trip to get it out. Think Good, Better, Best, my friends.

• Paper Q-tips - These are also a great alternative to the illusive reusable Q-tip I mentioned previously. So long as you find a product made with organic cotton, this is a great alternative to the plastic compound used in conventional (read Q-Tip Brand) Q-Tips.

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LAUNDRY SOAP, FABRIC SOFTENER, AND DRYER SHEETS

As we discussed earlier in the dish soap, it’s difficult to package liquid products in planet-friendly containers.

So, to celebrate Earth Day in more meaningful ways, here are some sustainable laundry products I’ve tried.

• Nellie’s Lamby Dryerballs - Wool felted dryerballs have replaced fabric softener AND dryer sheets in our home. Plus, they dry your clothes more efficiently by agitating them. I like this brand, but even better would be talking to your local sheep farmers about getting some from them!

• TruEarth Laundry Soap Sheets - After trying three different brands, I liked this one the best, and it comes in planet-friendly packaging (whereas brands like Earth Breeze still come in a plastic container for larger amounts). **These work far better in a top-loading washer than they do in a front loader, where they tend to not dissolve completely.

• Meliora Oxygen Brightener Powder - comes in paper packaging, as opposed to other brands I’ve seen in most stores (looking at you, OxiClean). A great replacement for chlorine bleach, although it is not a disinfectant. (Try hydrogen peroxide for that)

• Nellie’s Wow Stick Stain Remover - As simple as it gets, this is a solid stick similar to chapstick (but without the plastic packaging). And the best part? It works! Have been using this for several months now, and love it.

Ready to save the world?

Or at the very least, are you ready to align your actions with your beliefs by making small changes to your lifestyle in celebration of Earth Day 2025?

Yeah you are…

was this helpful?

What are some of your favorite sustainable products?

Share your favorites in the comments below!

NUTRITION SERVICES

• Private Coaching

• Functional Lab Testing

• Online Courses

• One-Time Assessment

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