Well Roots’ Blog
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MOST RECENT POSTS
As you’ve seen here, the research is very clear - GLP-1s at higher doses help people improve cardiometabolic markers, support the function of insulin, and help people lose weight.
The research is also very clear that slower motility and rapid weight loss have many negative health effects, and that benefits seen while on a GLP-1 nearly reverse after discontinuing.
These are risks worth considering when exploring a GLP-1 weight loss protocol.
In this post I will go over everything from what PCOS + PMOS mean, to PCOS symptoms, to effective and holistic PCOS treatment. But the thing I want you to hold onto right now is that this new metabolic perspective on PCOS is not new information. And more importantly, the rename from PCOS to PMOS does not mean your medical providers instantly know how to address the root causes of your PCOS symptoms.
I’ve been helping females with PCOS symptoms by addressing their gut health, metabolic health, and endocrine health, for as long as I’ve been in practice - including my own PCOS!
Having food allergies does not mean you have parasites, just as having parasites doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop food allergies.
But when working with 1:1 clients, and I see food (or seasonal) allergies that developed later in life, that is information worth digging into.
Interstitial Cystitis sometimes gets misdiagnosed as chronic UTIs, and when all the antibiotics and cranberry juice does'n’t seem to cut it (or maybe only provides short-term relief), you’re left feeling confused and [still] in pain.
I’m going to dive into interstitial cystitis treatment later in the post - but first we’re going to talk about candida.
Cortisol is commonly known as a stress hormone. But many people I encounter don’t know that cortisol also impacts everything from sex hormone balance, to metabolism, to sleep, to blood sugar regulation.
If you are female-bodied and you struggle with any type of hormone imbalance, as with PCOS or perimenopause, this article is for you - whether you have trouble sleeping or not. And the first thing you should know about the cortisol-sex hormone relationship is that both are made in the same pathway, but your body prioritizes the production of cortisol over sex hormones.
PCOS doesn’t exist on its own. It’s a condition caused by mix of deeper imbalances — digestion, gut health, liver function, inflammation, and insulin regulation all play a role. When those systems aren’t supported, it can snowball into issues like thyroid slowdown, adrenal fatigue, and weight changes.
The good news? When you address those root causes, your symptoms can shift in a meaningful way. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and in this post I’m sharing what truly made a difference for me.
When you feel out of control of your weight, hormones, and eating habits, those one-stop-shop ads and fitness influencers are really appealing. You stopped on this article because (shocker!) those quick fixes and trendy gadgets - the supplement packs, the “metabolic reset diets”, the apple cider vinegar dose, continuous glucose monitors - just aren’t cutting it, and you’re feeling lost and frustrated.
I’ve got you. Improving your metabolic issues is not a quick fix (don’t panic!), but it is possible.
f insulin resistance is primarily caused and perpetuated by a carbohydrate-rich diet, consider this: You cannot reach optimal dietary protein goals from a vegan or vegetarian diet without also consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates and loads of extra calories.
My clients often require a daily protein intake of about 100g (depending on the individual’s body size, activity, and digestive health). This breaks down to roughly 30-35g of protein per meal.
You would have to consume 4 cups of cooked quinoa to meet that requirement for one meal.
And still, you've bought into vegan protein shakes, and have shelves loaded with protein-enriched cookies, bars, and cereals. You’re feeling pretty good about meeting those higher protein intake recommendations that saturate your social feed.
But I’m here to dig deeper into the role of protein in insulin resistance symptoms, and why getting your protein from those sources might be making your insulin resistance symptoms worse, contributing to weight gain and inflammation.
One thing is common for us all - we are wildly in the dark about how health insurance works and who decides what’s covered. That is why my intention with this article is to offer clarity and education, so you can stop blindly allowing your health insurance plan choose your providers for you, and make more informed health decisions for yourself.
Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
We know that UV exposure supports nervous system regulation and healing, circadian rhythm, and the production of vitamin D, all of which are essential to optimal health.
On the other hand, we know that even if there is no concrete evidence that sun exposure causes cancer, sunburns are painful and pain is a symptom of damage or dysfunction in the body.
With time and consistency, this method can help improve insulin sensitivity (more on this) and improve your body’s ability to use fat stores when glucose is not readily available. Put differently, proper fasting increases metabolism and improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
But there is another physiological benefit of fasting that often gets overlooked - intermittent fasting improves gut health and IBS symptoms.
If you get the majority of your health information from fitness and wellness influencers on Instagram or TikTok, you might be getting misinformation about intermittent fasting benefits.
When done properly, fasting and intermittent fasting will improve insulin resistance, metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, regardless of the number of calories consumed before and after fasting. If you think of fasting as an easy way to achieve a calorie deficit, think again.
Antibiotics are only one piece of the SIBO treatment puzzle. Specialists are missing some key factors in addressing your SIBO and candida symptoms. In this article, I will share my SIBO treatment techniques for long-term results.
I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
Why are your thyroid numbers off in the first place? Without understanding and addressing the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, you’re likely to stay on thyroid medication for years, even decades (I’ve seen it happen!).
Being prescribed a thyroid medication doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This article will help you avoid that scenario and know which questions to ask at your next check-up.
For the sake of this parasite cleanse article, I will only be focusing on the most common parasites found in human intestines.
These types of parasites are commonly found in lake water, cats and dogs, contaminated or undercooked meat or dairy, contaminated water, and raw fish.
A parasite cleanse may be recommended for anyone who has consumed any contaminated foods or water, swims in lakes or standing water, or allows pets to sleep in their beds or lick their face.
Are you the person who always has a stash of TUMS in your purse?
Most medications are designed to be used on a temporary basis, not long-term. But how many people do you know that take antacids at most meals for heartburn relief?
If you take any type of heartburn relief medication, prescription or non, you are causing long-term damage to your digestive health and opening yourself up to viral gut infections, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies.
HOLISTIC LIFESTYLE
One thing is common for us all - we are wildly in the dark about how health insurance works and who decides what’s covered. That is why my intention with this article is to offer clarity and education, so you can stop blindly allowing your health insurance plan choose your providers for you, and make more informed health decisions for yourself.
Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
We know that UV exposure supports nervous system regulation and healing, circadian rhythm, and the production of vitamin D, all of which are essential to optimal health.
On the other hand, we know that even if there is no concrete evidence that sun exposure causes cancer, sunburns are painful and pain is a symptom of damage or dysfunction in the body.
I’ve worked in healthcare for a long time, and a common pattern I have seen over the years is, that not only do the adults I work with generally not sleep enough, but they don’t see it as a problem.
This is alarming, considering sleep is an essential function for detoxification and tissue healing, but also influences hormone balance, weight loss, and blood sugar levels.
Reaching for those sleep gummies is a solid effort in getting much-needed sleep, but it will not solve the underlying issues. We need to take a holistic look at insomnia treatments.
There are many potential causes for anxiety symptoms, many of which should be addressed by a mental health professional. If you are experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms, please seek help immediately from a qualified specialist.
In this article, I’ll be looking at one specific potential cause of anxiety symptoms in relation to gut health and nutrition. A factor that often gets overlooked by other healthcare professionals, because it’s not commonly tested for.
If you experience anxiety symptoms, blood sugar issues, and sleep issues, this is something worth considering.
Protein is made up of amino acids fused together by peptide bonds. The body can synthesize many amino acids from other sources, but there are nine amino acids which it cannot synthesize. These nine amino acids are needed to build protein, and in order to do that, they all need to be present simultaneously.
The inability of our body to produce these amino acids is what makes them essential amino acids, meaning, we must get them from our diet. The fact that they need to be present simultaneously in order to build protein, means we need to be consuming more complete proteins at each meal.
So, what’s a complete protein?
Hormone imbalance is when there is either too much or too little of any hormone. While addressing the effects of the hormone imbalances might help with your symptoms, as a holistic practitioner, my goal is to figure out why there is a hormone imbalance and help you address the hormone imbalance at the root cause.
The following are some common mistakes I see in individuals working to address hormone imbalance, specifically in relation to female sex hormones.
Keeping circadian rhythm regulated in check is essential to optimal health, and can have damaging effects if not taken into control. In fact, one paper I’ll reference in this post goes as far as to say that, “Circadian Dysregulation Is Both Symptomatic and Causative of Metabolic Disease”.
Aside from not feeling like a real person, let’s talk about how else you’re impacted when you can’t sleep.
Medications and surgeries have their place, but they are a short-term solution when regarding true health. And in my professional opinion, many are a waste of your time and money if not also putting energy into repairing foundations that will support long-term health.
This article will walk you through some foundational tools to support your long-term health and will help you to know when to ask questions and what questions to ask when things don’t quite add up.
…the reason people ghost is because they are paralyzed by fear and anxiety about facing something really scary.
Whether it seems rational to the outside world or not, people ghost because their brains sense danger, even if there is none. Ghosting is easier than facing the fear.
Fear and anxiety symptoms can make the simplest decision feel like the entire world will end (and everyone will hate you for it) if you choose wrong.
As a holistic practitioner, one of my main goals is to help people make better health decisions by providing education and insight that you might not hear in mainstream media.
When choosing to buy into any new health routine, be it trendy or not, it’s important to consider these things:
This article is your resource for understanding supplements, how to choose the best quality supplements, what nutrients your body needs, and how to know if something more deeply rooted needs to be addressed.
When it comes to health and wellbeing, the conventional approach often focuses on treating symptoms, which can result in temporary relief without providing a lasting solution for overall health. In contrast, Holistic Nutrition offers a more comprehensive and transformative pathway, delving into the underlying causes of illness to facilitate true healing.
One reason we gravitate toward fast weight loss methods, like weight loss medication, and even diet and exercise, is because we don’t understand what actually causes us to gain the weight in the first place.
I’m not suggesting you don’t ever choose healthy foods, or add regular movement into your routine.
But as a holistic nutritionist, I often find there are deep-rooted causes of weight gain that have nothing to do with calorie intake, and therefore cannot be solved with calorie tracking or appetite control.
I’m not here to tell you to start eating more salads, more protein shakes, to stop eating gluten, exercising more, or to take supplements. Those are not the things that define true health.
I get that it’s easy to get confused when we are bombarded by conflicting information from doctors and social media accounts.
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!).
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, what are you doing to live that out on a daily basis?
The relationship between nutrition and mental health is tied more closely than you may have previously thought. Acknowledging and addressing mental health has been more widely advocated in the past few years (thankfully!), but there has not been much emphasis on the interdependency between nutrition and mental health.
You've heard it a thousand times: drink more water. But that begs the question, “how much water should I drink?”.
It's been pounded into your brain through health blogs and fitness influencers, and you do it!
You drink TONS of water.
And that feels good, right? (Well, except for all the bathroom trips)
After all, it can be difficult to create new healthy habits, so drinking more water seems like a super simple & easy way to improve our health.
But what if simply drinking more water isn't really what's helping us?
How your food is grown and processed, and where it comes from, are the biggest factors in determining what makes a food a "healthy food."
Some important questions to ask yourself when determining the quality of your foods are:
Is it organic?
Does that even matter?
Is it heavily broken down before it's added as an ingredient?
Was it grown and harvested in a way that is sustainable to the environment, and that does not put extra toxins into your body?
What other ingredients are in the food?
STRESS MANAGEMENT
As promising as GLP-1 weight loss protocols are, for both weight loss and cardiometabolic markers, the research is starting to come back on long-term use of GLP-1s, and long-term discontinuation without functional support. What’s clear is that the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss protocols are not long-lasting on their own.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects caused by a drastically slowed digestive system on inflammation, hormone balance, and metabolic health last long after stopping a GLP-1… that is, unless the individual also receives guidance and functional support to address the systems being impacted.
As you’ve seen here, the research is very clear - GLP-1s at higher doses help people improve cardiometabolic markers, support the function of insulin, and help people lose weight.
The research is also very clear that slower motility and rapid weight loss have many negative health effects, and that benefits seen while on a GLP-1 nearly reverse after discontinuing.
These are risks worth considering when exploring a GLP-1 weight loss protocol.
In this post I will go over everything from what PCOS + PMOS mean, to PCOS symptoms, to effective and holistic PCOS treatment. But the thing I want you to hold onto right now is that this new metabolic perspective on PCOS is not new information. And more importantly, the rename from PCOS to PMOS does not mean your medical providers instantly know how to address the root causes of your PCOS symptoms.
I’ve been helping females with PCOS symptoms by addressing their gut health, metabolic health, and endocrine health, for as long as I’ve been in practice - including my own PCOS!
Having food allergies does not mean you have parasites, just as having parasites doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop food allergies.
But when working with 1:1 clients, and I see food (or seasonal) allergies that developed later in life, that is information worth digging into.
Interstitial Cystitis sometimes gets misdiagnosed as chronic UTIs, and when all the antibiotics and cranberry juice does'n’t seem to cut it (or maybe only provides short-term relief), you’re left feeling confused and [still] in pain.
I’m going to dive into interstitial cystitis treatment later in the post - but first we’re going to talk about candida.
Cortisol is commonly known as a stress hormone. But many people I encounter don’t know that cortisol also impacts everything from sex hormone balance, to metabolism, to sleep, to blood sugar regulation.
If you are female-bodied and you struggle with any type of hormone imbalance, as with PCOS or perimenopause, this article is for you - whether you have trouble sleeping or not. And the first thing you should know about the cortisol-sex hormone relationship is that both are made in the same pathway, but your body prioritizes the production of cortisol over sex hormones.
PCOS doesn’t exist on its own. It’s a condition caused by mix of deeper imbalances — digestion, gut health, liver function, inflammation, and insulin regulation all play a role. When those systems aren’t supported, it can snowball into issues like thyroid slowdown, adrenal fatigue, and weight changes.
The good news? When you address those root causes, your symptoms can shift in a meaningful way. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and in this post I’m sharing what truly made a difference for me.
When you feel out of control of your weight, hormones, and eating habits, those one-stop-shop ads and fitness influencers are really appealing. You stopped on this article because (shocker!) those quick fixes and trendy gadgets - the supplement packs, the “metabolic reset diets”, the apple cider vinegar dose, continuous glucose monitors - just aren’t cutting it, and you’re feeling lost and frustrated.
I’ve got you. Improving your metabolic issues is not a quick fix (don’t panic!), but it is possible.
f insulin resistance is primarily caused and perpetuated by a carbohydrate-rich diet, consider this: You cannot reach optimal dietary protein goals from a vegan or vegetarian diet without also consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates and loads of extra calories.
My clients often require a daily protein intake of about 100g (depending on the individual’s body size, activity, and digestive health). This breaks down to roughly 30-35g of protein per meal.
You would have to consume 4 cups of cooked quinoa to meet that requirement for one meal.
And still, you've bought into vegan protein shakes, and have shelves loaded with protein-enriched cookies, bars, and cereals. You’re feeling pretty good about meeting those higher protein intake recommendations that saturate your social feed.
But I’m here to dig deeper into the role of protein in insulin resistance symptoms, and why getting your protein from those sources might be making your insulin resistance symptoms worse, contributing to weight gain and inflammation.
With time and consistency, this method can help improve insulin sensitivity (more on this) and improve your body’s ability to use fat stores when glucose is not readily available. Put differently, proper fasting increases metabolism and improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
But there is another physiological benefit of fasting that often gets overlooked - intermittent fasting improves gut health and IBS symptoms.
If you get the majority of your health information from fitness and wellness influencers on Instagram or TikTok, you might be getting misinformation about intermittent fasting benefits.
When done properly, fasting and intermittent fasting will improve insulin resistance, metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, regardless of the number of calories consumed before and after fasting. If you think of fasting as an easy way to achieve a calorie deficit, think again.
Antibiotics are only one piece of the SIBO treatment puzzle. Specialists are missing some key factors in addressing your SIBO and candida symptoms. In this article, I will share my SIBO treatment techniques for long-term results.
I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
Why are your thyroid numbers off in the first place? Without understanding and addressing the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, you’re likely to stay on thyroid medication for years, even decades (I’ve seen it happen!).
Being prescribed a thyroid medication doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This article will help you avoid that scenario and know which questions to ask at your next check-up.
For the sake of this parasite cleanse article, I will only be focusing on the most common parasites found in human intestines.
These types of parasites are commonly found in lake water, cats and dogs, contaminated or undercooked meat or dairy, contaminated water, and raw fish.
A parasite cleanse may be recommended for anyone who has consumed any contaminated foods or water, swims in lakes or standing water, or allows pets to sleep in their beds or lick their face.
Without also addressing digestive health and underlying stressors, changing your diet and supplements is a giant waste of your money. Probiotics and low-FODMAP foods might help your symptoms, but they are not going to resolve the why behind your IBS symptoms.
When clients come to me with IBS symptoms, I commonly look at their adrenal health, digestive health, liver health, dietary habits, sleep habits, and look for signs of pathogenic activity. When necessary, I’m also looking at specialized lab testing to find sources of these underlying stressors that are part of the root cause for their IBS symptoms.
I’ve worked in healthcare for a long time, and a common pattern I have seen over the years is, that not only do the adults I work with generally not sleep enough, but they don’t see it as a problem.
This is alarming, considering sleep is an essential function for detoxification and tissue healing, but also influences hormone balance, weight loss, and blood sugar levels.
Reaching for those sleep gummies is a solid effort in getting much-needed sleep, but it will not solve the underlying issues. We need to take a holistic look at insomnia treatments.
The adrenal glands do not get nearly enough limelight when it comes to addressing hormone imbalance symptoms. Dysfunction in the adrenal glands will disrupt hormone balance and cause issues with sleep, periods, mood, energy, and blood sugar levels.
Addressing adrenal health and stress management are the keys to getting better, more predictable periods, and improving mood and energy levels.
But there’s more to it than bubble baths or meditation.
There’s more to it than meditation and breathing - did you know that your stress response system interferes with hormone balance, blood sugar levels, metabolism, and sleep?
EASY HEALTHY RECIPES AND MEAL PREP TOOLS
Nut milks and other plant-based milks, like oat milk are all the rage right now. Eating vegan food diets in general have been hyped up by misinformation, and as a holistic nutritionist, I think we are missing a lot of important nutrients, and destroying our planet more, by consuming poor-quality animal protein substitutes.
But I also know animal proteins may not be the best option for some individuals, due to religious beliefs, inner conflict with killing of animals.
As a nutritionist, I can tell you that your craving for afternoon coffee has everything to do with adrenal dysfunction or blood sugar…
But I’m not going to get into that today, because the reality is, on a warm summer day in Seattle, there is nothing better than sipping a super smooth, rich, icy cup of cold brew coffee.
Cold brew coffee is stupid easy to make in any case, but this method blows all others out of the water.
This recipe is my favorite in terms of versatility and nutrient density. It’s the perfect healthy recipe for easy summer evenings.
The ingredients can be switched up easily without risking flavor components and can easily adapt to your nutritional needs. The romesco is plant-based on its own, so there’s no need to adapt if you eat vegan.
While all those things may be true of smoothies, if you've been following me for any amount of time, you know that the idea of salads & smoothies as a way to eat healthy (or even the idea of having a "beach body") is pure misinformation.
HOWEVER, I am fully aware that it is really easy to get sucked into anything we hear or read that will make us healthier!
I mean, we've been conditioned to believe that "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels," right?
This soup is my favorite.
It is soul-warming, nutrient-dense, SO easy, & freezer-friendly.
It is a staple in our home, for exactly those reasons. It can also be easily altered to whole-food-plant-based, if needed.
Make it your own! I love to top it with plain, full fat, grass-fed yogurt, micro greens, avocado, or my personal favorite: GOAT CHEESE (yum!). It would also be delicious with a variety of other vegetables, like parsnips, peas, or some pearl onions.
Let’s face it - we make poor decisions when we are hungry.
We can have the best intentions for making healthful food choices, but the moment hunger sets in… food cravings, convenience, and oh, the growling… it can be difficult to keep your head clear. (I know - I am a human, too!)
This is exactly why I am a big fan of Meal Planning & Meal Prep (AKA: Batch Cooking).
GUT HEALTH | HEALTHY DIGESTION
As promising as GLP-1 weight loss protocols are, for both weight loss and cardiometabolic markers, the research is starting to come back on long-term use of GLP-1s, and long-term discontinuation without functional support. What’s clear is that the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss protocols are not long-lasting on their own.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects caused by a drastically slowed digestive system on inflammation, hormone balance, and metabolic health last long after stopping a GLP-1… that is, unless the individual also receives guidance and functional support to address the systems being impacted.
As you’ve seen here, the research is very clear - GLP-1s at higher doses help people improve cardiometabolic markers, support the function of insulin, and help people lose weight.
The research is also very clear that slower motility and rapid weight loss have many negative health effects, and that benefits seen while on a GLP-1 nearly reverse after discontinuing.
These are risks worth considering when exploring a GLP-1 weight loss protocol.
In this post I will go over everything from what PCOS + PMOS mean, to PCOS symptoms, to effective and holistic PCOS treatment. But the thing I want you to hold onto right now is that this new metabolic perspective on PCOS is not new information. And more importantly, the rename from PCOS to PMOS does not mean your medical providers instantly know how to address the root causes of your PCOS symptoms.
I’ve been helping females with PCOS symptoms by addressing their gut health, metabolic health, and endocrine health, for as long as I’ve been in practice - including my own PCOS!
Having food allergies does not mean you have parasites, just as having parasites doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop food allergies.
But when working with 1:1 clients, and I see food (or seasonal) allergies that developed later in life, that is information worth digging into.
Interstitial Cystitis sometimes gets misdiagnosed as chronic UTIs, and when all the antibiotics and cranberry juice does'n’t seem to cut it (or maybe only provides short-term relief), you’re left feeling confused and [still] in pain.
I’m going to dive into interstitial cystitis treatment later in the post - but first we’re going to talk about candida.
Cortisol is commonly known as a stress hormone. But many people I encounter don’t know that cortisol also impacts everything from sex hormone balance, to metabolism, to sleep, to blood sugar regulation.
If you are female-bodied and you struggle with any type of hormone imbalance, as with PCOS or perimenopause, this article is for you - whether you have trouble sleeping or not. And the first thing you should know about the cortisol-sex hormone relationship is that both are made in the same pathway, but your body prioritizes the production of cortisol over sex hormones.
PCOS doesn’t exist on its own. It’s a condition caused by mix of deeper imbalances — digestion, gut health, liver function, inflammation, and insulin regulation all play a role. When those systems aren’t supported, it can snowball into issues like thyroid slowdown, adrenal fatigue, and weight changes.
The good news? When you address those root causes, your symptoms can shift in a meaningful way. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and in this post I’m sharing what truly made a difference for me.
When you feel out of control of your weight, hormones, and eating habits, those one-stop-shop ads and fitness influencers are really appealing. You stopped on this article because (shocker!) those quick fixes and trendy gadgets - the supplement packs, the “metabolic reset diets”, the apple cider vinegar dose, continuous glucose monitors - just aren’t cutting it, and you’re feeling lost and frustrated.
I’ve got you. Improving your metabolic issues is not a quick fix (don’t panic!), but it is possible.
f insulin resistance is primarily caused and perpetuated by a carbohydrate-rich diet, consider this: You cannot reach optimal dietary protein goals from a vegan or vegetarian diet without also consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates and loads of extra calories.
My clients often require a daily protein intake of about 100g (depending on the individual’s body size, activity, and digestive health). This breaks down to roughly 30-35g of protein per meal.
You would have to consume 4 cups of cooked quinoa to meet that requirement for one meal.
And still, you've bought into vegan protein shakes, and have shelves loaded with protein-enriched cookies, bars, and cereals. You’re feeling pretty good about meeting those higher protein intake recommendations that saturate your social feed.
But I’m here to dig deeper into the role of protein in insulin resistance symptoms, and why getting your protein from those sources might be making your insulin resistance symptoms worse, contributing to weight gain and inflammation.
One thing is common for us all - we are wildly in the dark about how health insurance works and who decides what’s covered. That is why my intention with this article is to offer clarity and education, so you can stop blindly allowing your health insurance plan choose your providers for you, and make more informed health decisions for yourself.
Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
With time and consistency, this method can help improve insulin sensitivity (more on this) and improve your body’s ability to use fat stores when glucose is not readily available. Put differently, proper fasting increases metabolism and improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
But there is another physiological benefit of fasting that often gets overlooked - intermittent fasting improves gut health and IBS symptoms.
If you get the majority of your health information from fitness and wellness influencers on Instagram or TikTok, you might be getting misinformation about intermittent fasting benefits.
When done properly, fasting and intermittent fasting will improve insulin resistance, metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, regardless of the number of calories consumed before and after fasting. If you think of fasting as an easy way to achieve a calorie deficit, think again.
Antibiotics are only one piece of the SIBO treatment puzzle. Specialists are missing some key factors in addressing your SIBO and candida symptoms. In this article, I will share my SIBO treatment techniques for long-term results.
I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
Why are your thyroid numbers off in the first place? Without understanding and addressing the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, you’re likely to stay on thyroid medication for years, even decades (I’ve seen it happen!).
Being prescribed a thyroid medication doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This article will help you avoid that scenario and know which questions to ask at your next check-up.
For the sake of this parasite cleanse article, I will only be focusing on the most common parasites found in human intestines.
These types of parasites are commonly found in lake water, cats and dogs, contaminated or undercooked meat or dairy, contaminated water, and raw fish.
A parasite cleanse may be recommended for anyone who has consumed any contaminated foods or water, swims in lakes or standing water, or allows pets to sleep in their beds or lick their face.
Are you the person who always has a stash of TUMS in your purse?
Most medications are designed to be used on a temporary basis, not long-term. But how many people do you know that take antacids at most meals for heartburn relief?
If you take any type of heartburn relief medication, prescription or non, you are causing long-term damage to your digestive health and opening yourself up to viral gut infections, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies.
Without also addressing digestive health and underlying stressors, changing your diet and supplements is a giant waste of your money. Probiotics and low-FODMAP foods might help your symptoms, but they are not going to resolve the why behind your IBS symptoms.
When clients come to me with IBS symptoms, I commonly look at their adrenal health, digestive health, liver health, dietary habits, sleep habits, and look for signs of pathogenic activity. When necessary, I’m also looking at specialized lab testing to find sources of these underlying stressors that are part of the root cause for their IBS symptoms.
BLOOD SUGAR MANAGEMENT
As promising as GLP-1 weight loss protocols are, for both weight loss and cardiometabolic markers, the research is starting to come back on long-term use of GLP-1s, and long-term discontinuation without functional support. What’s clear is that the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss protocols are not long-lasting on their own.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects caused by a drastically slowed digestive system on inflammation, hormone balance, and metabolic health last long after stopping a GLP-1… that is, unless the individual also receives guidance and functional support to address the systems being impacted.
As you’ve seen here, the research is very clear - GLP-1s at higher doses help people improve cardiometabolic markers, support the function of insulin, and help people lose weight.
The research is also very clear that slower motility and rapid weight loss have many negative health effects, and that benefits seen while on a GLP-1 nearly reverse after discontinuing.
These are risks worth considering when exploring a GLP-1 weight loss protocol.
In this post I will go over everything from what PCOS + PMOS mean, to PCOS symptoms, to effective and holistic PCOS treatment. But the thing I want you to hold onto right now is that this new metabolic perspective on PCOS is not new information. And more importantly, the rename from PCOS to PMOS does not mean your medical providers instantly know how to address the root causes of your PCOS symptoms.
I’ve been helping females with PCOS symptoms by addressing their gut health, metabolic health, and endocrine health, for as long as I’ve been in practice - including my own PCOS!
Having food allergies does not mean you have parasites, just as having parasites doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop food allergies.
But when working with 1:1 clients, and I see food (or seasonal) allergies that developed later in life, that is information worth digging into.
Interstitial Cystitis sometimes gets misdiagnosed as chronic UTIs, and when all the antibiotics and cranberry juice does'n’t seem to cut it (or maybe only provides short-term relief), you’re left feeling confused and [still] in pain.
I’m going to dive into interstitial cystitis treatment later in the post - but first we’re going to talk about candida.
Cortisol is commonly known as a stress hormone. But many people I encounter don’t know that cortisol also impacts everything from sex hormone balance, to metabolism, to sleep, to blood sugar regulation.
If you are female-bodied and you struggle with any type of hormone imbalance, as with PCOS or perimenopause, this article is for you - whether you have trouble sleeping or not. And the first thing you should know about the cortisol-sex hormone relationship is that both are made in the same pathway, but your body prioritizes the production of cortisol over sex hormones.
PCOS doesn’t exist on its own. It’s a condition caused by mix of deeper imbalances — digestion, gut health, liver function, inflammation, and insulin regulation all play a role. When those systems aren’t supported, it can snowball into issues like thyroid slowdown, adrenal fatigue, and weight changes.
The good news? When you address those root causes, your symptoms can shift in a meaningful way. I’ve experienced that firsthand, and in this post I’m sharing what truly made a difference for me.
When you feel out of control of your weight, hormones, and eating habits, those one-stop-shop ads and fitness influencers are really appealing. You stopped on this article because (shocker!) those quick fixes and trendy gadgets - the supplement packs, the “metabolic reset diets”, the apple cider vinegar dose, continuous glucose monitors - just aren’t cutting it, and you’re feeling lost and frustrated.
I’ve got you. Improving your metabolic issues is not a quick fix (don’t panic!), but it is possible.
f insulin resistance is primarily caused and perpetuated by a carbohydrate-rich diet, consider this: You cannot reach optimal dietary protein goals from a vegan or vegetarian diet without also consuming mountains of starchy carbohydrates and loads of extra calories.
My clients often require a daily protein intake of about 100g (depending on the individual’s body size, activity, and digestive health). This breaks down to roughly 30-35g of protein per meal.
You would have to consume 4 cups of cooked quinoa to meet that requirement for one meal.
And still, you've bought into vegan protein shakes, and have shelves loaded with protein-enriched cookies, bars, and cereals. You’re feeling pretty good about meeting those higher protein intake recommendations that saturate your social feed.
But I’m here to dig deeper into the role of protein in insulin resistance symptoms, and why getting your protein from those sources might be making your insulin resistance symptoms worse, contributing to weight gain and inflammation.
With time and consistency, this method can help improve insulin sensitivity (more on this) and improve your body’s ability to use fat stores when glucose is not readily available. Put differently, proper fasting increases metabolism and improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
But there is another physiological benefit of fasting that often gets overlooked - intermittent fasting improves gut health and IBS symptoms.
If you get the majority of your health information from fitness and wellness influencers on Instagram or TikTok, you might be getting misinformation about intermittent fasting benefits.
When done properly, fasting and intermittent fasting will improve insulin resistance, metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, regardless of the number of calories consumed before and after fasting. If you think of fasting as an easy way to achieve a calorie deficit, think again.
Antibiotics are only one piece of the SIBO treatment puzzle. Specialists are missing some key factors in addressing your SIBO and candida symptoms. In this article, I will share my SIBO treatment techniques for long-term results.
I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
Why are your thyroid numbers off in the first place? Without understanding and addressing the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, you’re likely to stay on thyroid medication for years, even decades (I’ve seen it happen!).
Being prescribed a thyroid medication doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This article will help you avoid that scenario and know which questions to ask at your next check-up.
For the sake of this parasite cleanse article, I will only be focusing on the most common parasites found in human intestines.
These types of parasites are commonly found in lake water, cats and dogs, contaminated or undercooked meat or dairy, contaminated water, and raw fish.
A parasite cleanse may be recommended for anyone who has consumed any contaminated foods or water, swims in lakes or standing water, or allows pets to sleep in their beds or lick their face.
I’ve worked in healthcare for a long time, and a common pattern I have seen over the years is, that not only do the adults I work with generally not sleep enough, but they don’t see it as a problem.
This is alarming, considering sleep is an essential function for detoxification and tissue healing, but also influences hormone balance, weight loss, and blood sugar levels.
Reaching for those sleep gummies is a solid effort in getting much-needed sleep, but it will not solve the underlying issues. We need to take a holistic look at insomnia treatments.
The adrenal glands do not get nearly enough limelight when it comes to addressing hormone imbalance symptoms. Dysfunction in the adrenal glands will disrupt hormone balance and cause issues with sleep, periods, mood, energy, and blood sugar levels.
Addressing adrenal health and stress management are the keys to getting better, more predictable periods, and improving mood and energy levels.
But there’s more to it than bubble baths or meditation.
Every body is different, having unique biochemical makeup and experiences that influence all aspects of health. Nutritional and lifestyle changes should never be considered without an individualized assessment by a qualified practitioner.
The focus here is to help you determine whether or not it is okay to drink coffee on an empty stomach. We’ve seen already how the caffeine in coffee has an impact on blood sugar levels - let’s find out how that might affect you if consuming coffee without any food in your stomach.
Mold toxicity symptoms often get overlooked by healthcare professionals, because they overlap with other types of conditions that are commonly treated separately without looking at the root cause.
In this article, we’ll discuss mold toxicity symptoms, and how they are commonly associated with autoimmune diseases like Hashimotos thyroiditis, hidradenitis suppuritiva, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or chronic fatigue syndrome.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET
As promising as GLP-1 weight loss protocols are, for both weight loss and cardiometabolic markers, the research is starting to come back on long-term use of GLP-1s, and long-term discontinuation without functional support. What’s clear is that the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss protocols are not long-lasting on their own.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects caused by a drastically slowed digestive system on inflammation, hormone balance, and metabolic health last long after stopping a GLP-1… that is, unless the individual also receives guidance and functional support to address the systems being impacted.
As you’ve seen here, the research is very clear - GLP-1s at higher doses help people improve cardiometabolic markers, support the function of insulin, and help people lose weight.
The research is also very clear that slower motility and rapid weight loss have many negative health effects, and that benefits seen while on a GLP-1 nearly reverse after discontinuing.
These are risks worth considering when exploring a GLP-1 weight loss protocol.
In this post I will go over everything from what PCOS + PMOS mean, to PCOS symptoms, to effective and holistic PCOS treatment. But the thing I want you to hold onto right now is that this new metabolic perspective on PCOS is not new information. And more importantly, the rename from PCOS to PMOS does not mean your medical providers instantly know how to address the root causes of your PCOS symptoms.
I’ve been helping females with PCOS symptoms by addressing their gut health, metabolic health, and endocrine health, for as long as I’ve been in practice - including my own PCOS!
Having food allergies does not mean you have parasites, just as having parasites doesn’t necessarily mean you will develop food allergies.
But when working with 1:1 clients, and I see food (or seasonal) allergies that developed later in life, that is information worth digging into.
Interstitial Cystitis sometimes gets misdiagnosed as chronic UTIs, and when all the antibiotics and cranberry juice does'n’t seem to cut it (or maybe only provides short-term relief), you’re left feeling confused and [still] in pain.
I’m going to dive into interstitial cystitis treatment later in the post - but first we’re going to talk about candida.
One thing is common for us all - we are wildly in the dark about how health insurance works and who decides what’s covered. That is why my intention with this article is to offer clarity and education, so you can stop blindly allowing your health insurance plan choose your providers for you, and make more informed health decisions for yourself.
Your body uses inflammation to fight off everything from infection, to allergies, to tissue injury.
But when any of those things goes undiagnosed or untreated, inflammation becomes chronic, exacerbating pain levels and other symptoms. And the foods you eat can either help or hurt your healing potential.
With time and consistency, this method can help improve insulin sensitivity (more on this) and improve your body’s ability to use fat stores when glucose is not readily available. Put differently, proper fasting increases metabolism and improves your body’s ability to burn fat.
But there is another physiological benefit of fasting that often gets overlooked - intermittent fasting improves gut health and IBS symptoms.
If you get the majority of your health information from fitness and wellness influencers on Instagram or TikTok, you might be getting misinformation about intermittent fasting benefits.
When done properly, fasting and intermittent fasting will improve insulin resistance, metabolic rate, and metabolic flexibility, regardless of the number of calories consumed before and after fasting. If you think of fasting as an easy way to achieve a calorie deficit, think again.
Antibiotics are only one piece of the SIBO treatment puzzle. Specialists are missing some key factors in addressing your SIBO and candida symptoms. In this article, I will share my SIBO treatment techniques for long-term results.
I was once diagnosed with PCOS, and so whenever I am studying it, or hear that someone I know is dealing with it, I light up! It's such an interesting topic to me, and has impacted my life on a deeply emotional level. It’s important to me that you know that I GET IT. More deeply than most, I am right there with you.
For those unfamiliar with the term, PCOS stands for Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome. It occurs when our body, for whatever reason (more on that later), cannot fully ovulate, meaning, the egg cannot fully break through the follicle wall and ovary wall into the fallopian tube. Instead, the egg remains in the ovary wall and creates a cyst. When this happens repeatedly, the ovary becomes covered in cysts.
Why are your thyroid numbers off in the first place? Without understanding and addressing the root cause of your thyroid symptoms, you’re likely to stay on thyroid medication for years, even decades (I’ve seen it happen!).
Being prescribed a thyroid medication doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This article will help you avoid that scenario and know which questions to ask at your next check-up.
For the sake of this parasite cleanse article, I will only be focusing on the most common parasites found in human intestines.
These types of parasites are commonly found in lake water, cats and dogs, contaminated or undercooked meat or dairy, contaminated water, and raw fish.
A parasite cleanse may be recommended for anyone who has consumed any contaminated foods or water, swims in lakes or standing water, or allows pets to sleep in their beds or lick their face.
Are you the person who always has a stash of TUMS in your purse?
Most medications are designed to be used on a temporary basis, not long-term. But how many people do you know that take antacids at most meals for heartburn relief?
If you take any type of heartburn relief medication, prescription or non, you are causing long-term damage to your digestive health and opening yourself up to viral gut infections, food sensitivities, and nutrient deficiencies.
Without also addressing digestive health and underlying stressors, changing your diet and supplements is a giant waste of your money. Probiotics and low-FODMAP foods might help your symptoms, but they are not going to resolve the why behind your IBS symptoms.
When clients come to me with IBS symptoms, I commonly look at their adrenal health, digestive health, liver health, dietary habits, sleep habits, and look for signs of pathogenic activity. When necessary, I’m also looking at specialized lab testing to find sources of these underlying stressors that are part of the root cause for their IBS symptoms.
There are many potential causes for anxiety symptoms, many of which should be addressed by a mental health professional. If you are experiencing depression or anxiety symptoms, please seek help immediately from a qualified specialist.
In this article, I’ll be looking at one specific potential cause of anxiety symptoms in relation to gut health and nutrition. A factor that often gets overlooked by other healthcare professionals, because it’s not commonly tested for.
If you experience anxiety symptoms, blood sugar issues, and sleep issues, this is something worth considering.
Every body is different, having unique biochemical makeup and experiences that influence all aspects of health. Nutritional and lifestyle changes should never be considered without an individualized assessment by a qualified practitioner.
The focus here is to help you determine whether or not it is okay to drink coffee on an empty stomach. We’ve seen already how the caffeine in coffee has an impact on blood sugar levels - let’s find out how that might affect you if consuming coffee without any food in your stomach.
Mold toxicity symptoms often get overlooked by healthcare professionals, because they overlap with other types of conditions that are commonly treated separately without looking at the root cause.
In this article, we’ll discuss mold toxicity symptoms, and how they are commonly associated with autoimmune diseases like Hashimotos thyroiditis, hidradenitis suppuritiva, multiple sclerosis, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Candida is a parasitic yeast that can live on your skin, in your mouth, and in your intestines (1). Commonly known as candida albicans, this structure is commonly present in small amounts in most humans, but when it becomes out of balance with other microbiota in the gut, that’s when the trouble begins.
Candida albicans implants itself with a root-like structure into cells and tissues, including your digestive tract. They use tail-like protrusions called flagella to wave around and leech nutrients from the foods you consume, leaving you more hungry, and making you susceptible to blood sugar issues like insulin resistance and hypoglycemia.
This implantation technique enables them to evade the immune system and makes it more difficult to see using some lab testing techniques.
It is also the reason candida will not go away with a simple diet change. Specific and meticulous strategies under the care of a qualified practitioner are essential to totally eradicating candida symptoms, and rebuilding the microbiota.
I’ve worked in healthcare for about 25 years, and I can say this with confidence - we as a society do not pay enough attention to our bowel movements.
The quality of your poo is very telling of internal health conditions, and our modern world has taught us to ignore the signs by not educating us about what it looks or feels like to have healthy bowel movements.
I’ve had friends laugh off their constipation symptoms, stomach pain, and diarrhea after meals as if they were nothing. But my darling, your poo is no laughing matter.
This article will teach you what a healthy bowel movement looks (and smells) like, how to recognize and treat constipation symptoms and diarrhea causes, and we’ll even look at a bowel movement color chart.
As promising as GLP-1 weight loss protocols are, for both weight loss and cardiometabolic markers, the research is starting to come back on long-term use of GLP-1s, and long-term discontinuation without functional support. What’s clear is that the benefits of GLP-1 weight loss protocols are not long-lasting on their own.
Unfortunately, the harmful effects caused by a drastically slowed digestive system on inflammation, hormone balance, and metabolic health last long after stopping a GLP-1… that is, unless the individual also receives guidance and functional support to address the systems being impacted.