Blog Posts

Studies continue to show the many benefits of meditation. One particular study* showed a down-regulation (suppression) of inflammatory genes in the meditators compared to the control group. And, at the start of the study there was no difference in the genes between these two groups. This tells us that we can actually change our genetic expression with things like meditation.

The goal of meditation is to focus and quiet your mind, in order to have greater clarity, self-awareness, and inner calm.

Meditation is a great daily practice. Even just taking a few minutes to take 10 deep breaths, where you focus on your breathing can be beneficial.

I find it's so important to start each day with a balanced, nutrient-rich breakfast. You can make this smoothie quickly and head out the door knowing you’ve gotten a healthy start to your day. You will know you haven’t just filled your body with empty calories that drag you down, and you haven’t missed out on the most important meal of the day. (And by the way, coffee does not count as breakfast!)

Smoothies are a great way to pack in important nutrients. Since I recommend my patients get at least 8 servings of vegetables per day, starting your day with a smoothie is a great way to get at least 1 serving of vegetables at breakfast. The average American gets a total of just three servings of fruits and vegetables a day. How many servings do you get?

Q: What is the best way to achieve my New Year’s Resolution to lose weight?

A: Getting fit is an excellent New Year’s Resolution. Whether you are still going strong with your resolution, or whether you have struggled to stay committed, the important thing is to do the best you can each and every day. In addition to looking better, when you lose weight, you reduce your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers, and other chronic health concerns.

It is important to look at weight loss goals more in terms of getting fit and healthy rather the goal to “lose weight.” Good body composition (how much lean muscle versus fat mass you have) is much more important than shedding pounds. Muscle actually weighs more than fat, and losing muscle can easily occur if a weight loss program is done improperly. Increasing lean muscle mass and decreasing body fat helps reduce the risk of many health problems and makes you trimmer and fitter. We all want to live long, full lives, free of illness, so when you embark on your new program to lose weight, be sure you are evaluating your body composition rather than what the scale tells you.

Naturopathic medicine combines the wisdom of nature with the rigors of modern science.  It focuses on holistic, proactive prevention and comprehensive diagnosis and treatment.  By using protocols that minimize the risk of harm, naturopathic physicians help facilitate the body’s innate ability to restore and maintain optimal health.  The naturopathic physician (ND) aims to identify and remove underlying causes of disease and barriers to good health.

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How is a naturopathic physician different from (or the same as) a medical doctor?​

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Naturopathic Physicians (NDs) understand the language of conventional medicine and diagnose health conditions like MDs.  In addition, NDs bring to the patient a holistic and integrative approach.  Naturopathic doctors teach their patients to use diet, exercise, lifestyle changes and natural therapies to enhance their bodies’ ability to fight disease.  NDs view the patient as an interrelated system (a whole person).  Naturopathic physicians’ comprehensive treatment plans blend the best of modern medical science and traditional natural medical approaches to not only treat disease, but to also restore health.

Q: What can I do to help prevent heart disease?

A: Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US. And despite the fact that many people think heart disease is mainly a problem for men, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women as well. In fact, women are 10 times more likely to die of CVD than breast cancer.

February is American Heart Month and a great time become more aware about what you can do to prevent heart disease. Diet is a key component of cardiovascular health and a great place. You can start by eating more fruits and vegetables since they are high in important nutrients. Studies support the benefits of eating 9 servings/day of fruits and vegetables, but most Americans eat less than 5 servings of fruits and vegetables/ day.

The Holidays are over and many of us have set new goals to get our health back on track, but it’s not always easy after months of holiday treats, big meals and celebrations with family and friends. The good news is it only takes a few small steps to start getting back on track with those healthy habits.

The 1st step is getting rid of any leftover candies and treats around the house and replacing them with healthier options. If you have healthy snacks at your fingertips, it is a lot easier to choose the healthier option.

You may want to consider a cleanse to help detoxify and get your body reset for the new-year. There are several great ways to get in a good, healthy cleanse, and I have helped many of my patients decide which one is right for them. Let me know if you would like some help with a customized cleanse.

Film lovers and celebrities are flocking to Park City this week for the Sundance Film Festival.  Visitors are often traveling from sea level and are constantly on the go, so I put together these health tips for my Sundance festival visiting friends.

• Muscle Tension: During the film festival, you are seated for hours looking up at the screen.  This often results in sore neck and back muscles.  To reduce your chances for muscle tension:

  • Be aware of your posture – Try to keep your spine straight while you’re seated

  • Stretch and Move – Between films and during breaks, walk around and stretch

#1 Lose Weight – This New Year’s Resolution is at the top of many people’s list and rightfully so since 60% of Americans are overweight or obese.  Being overweight increases your risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and numerous other health problems.  Don’t let another year go by, make a change today!  You can start by eating one large salad every day and cut out refined, processed foods.  This will add in essential nutrients, reduce your calories and help keep your blood sugar in check.  All of this helps you lose weight.

#2 Cleanse your body – After the holidays it’s time to remove the junk (from your fridge and your body).  Toss out the old and bring in a healthier, revitalizing way of living.  Did you know that losing weight is a great way to cleanse?  When you drop fat, you release toxins from your body.  Achieve Resolutions #1 and #2 simultaneously with a well-designed cleanse.  Try cutting out alcohol and caffeine and replace with fresh veggie juice for 1 week and see how you feel.

With the holidays around the corner, busy home, social and work schedules can send stress levels through the roof. Combined with cold and flu season this time of year, it’s important to keep your immune system strong to prevent getting sick at a time when nobody wants to feel feverish or congested. Prepare yourself this year with all natural medicines that can help you keep on schedule for a happy holiday season.

An important factor in keeping your health and your wits is getting a good night’s sleep. Sleeplessness can lead to daytime irritability, drowsiness, difficulty concentrating, and immune system suppression. If you are tossing and turning, there are things you can do to help relax into sleep naturally.

While we generally enjoy the holidays, they can be stressful. You don’t need to “suffer” through the holidays. Enjoy a healthy, low-stress holiday season this year with the following tips.

Cold and flu season is upon us. Luckily, many treatment options are available, including over-the-counter medications, antibiotic and antiviral drugs, vaccinations and more natural approaches. The trick to beating the cold and flu is finding the safest and most effective solution by weighing the risks and benefits of the choices available.

Over-the-counter (OTC) medications may include a pain and fever reducer, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, antihistamines, decongestants and/or cough suppressants. But some of these medications bring potential side effects such as allergic reactions, drowsiness, dizziness, blurred vision, or excitation in children. Considering the side effects and possible drug interactions, OTC medications should be used with caution.

I live and practice in the mountains of beautiful Park City, Utah.  People are flocking here for skiing and winter fun.  For those of you visiting the high altitude mountains this year, this blog is for you…

At high altitude the air is thinner and has less oxygen.  It’s also drier, colder, and the ultraviolet rays from the sun are much stronger.  Here are some tips to protect your body and help you stay healthy at the high altitude.

Stay hydrated:

• Drink extra water (most people need 2 – 3 times more than usual)

• Decrease your intake of salty foods

• Limit alcohol and caffeine intake

Holiday shopping is here with stores and online retailers advertising for the holiday season earlier than ever before! When you give a gift, especially to a child, you want it to be fun, but you also want it to be safe. To help you know what to look for, I have included some toy safety information that will help you make it through the Holiday with the best and safest gifts in tow.

Q:  What are the safest toys for my child?

A: We all want what’s best for our little ones.  It would seem that toys would be one thing we shouldn’t have to worry about, but, unfortunately, some toys just aren’t safe – as we’ve seen from the recent recall of certain toys made in China. For babies it’s particularly important to look at what the toys are made out of since they tend to put everything in their mouths.  There are several things to think about when selecting toys for your children or when you’re out shopping this holiday season.

Your body goes through a roller coaster of hormonal and physical changes during pregnancy. It can be a lot for the most seasoned mama to go through. Recovery after pregnancy can be especially tricky with all the changes of having a new baby in the home and with all the changes you experience post-partum. Remember, you’re not alone in what you’re going through.

After pregnancy, you may experience:

Patients often come in to see me baffled and confused about what to eat. Whether it is Paleo, Atkins, South Beach, Gluten-free, or another popular diet, it can be overwhelming to know which diet is right for you. We have so much information, sometimes conflicting information, at our fingertips that the true benefits of a diet's claim can be confusing. Although everyone has different dietary needs based on their body composition, health history and food sensitivities & allergies, I have provided some help to point you in the right direction as far as nutrition is concerned.

Ask yourself these questions…

-Have you followed a diet not been able to stick with it long term?

-Did you lose weight on the diet, but gain it back?

-Was the only goal of the diet to lose weight fast?

It has been estimated that by the year 2015 nearly 50% of women in the US will be menopausal.  While this may seem surprising, it shows the need for more awareness and honor for women entering menopause.  Cultural expectations and personal discomfort can create negative feelings and associations.  Although menopause is often treated as a disease, it is a natural and necessary change in every woman’s life.  The transition of menopause is the beginning of a new phase of life with fewer family obligations, greater freedom and new opportunities.

About Menopause

The term menopause specifically refers to one year since a woman’s last menstrual period, with or without symptoms. The average age is 51 years old, but changes can begin to occur as early as 40 years old. 

It’s back to school time! Families are squeezing in their last-minute vacations and shopping for school supplies, but the school bell is just ahead. This year, make a fresh start with healthy foods to help your child grow and flourish throughout the entire school year. Here are five tips to keep in mind as you think about meals, food, nutrition, and health for the back to school season.

1.  Don’t let your kids skip breakfast.

Whenever you skip a meal, you deprive your body of essential nutrients and calories. A missed meal is especially rough on children’s bodies. During childhood, the body and mind need the consistent provision of good nutrition in order to function properly. Start your child’s day off strong with a healthy breakfast, even if it’s a smoothie on the run.

We spend a great deal of time in our kitchens; cooking, cleaning, eating and sometimes socializing.  During that time, we may be exposed to a number of toxins.  Do you know what is in your home that could be negatively impacting your health?  Let us take a look at what may be lurking in your kitchen and what simple solutions will help shift your kitchen to a healthier shade of green.

Cleaning products stored under the kitchen sink can contribute to poor indoor air quality.  The chemicals in cleaning supplies vary in toxicity levels.  The warning labels refer to acute exposures only and often provide inadequate information.  Exposure to some of the ingredients can cause eye and respiratory tract irritation, headaches, dizziness, visual disorders, and memory impairment.  The long-term effects are not known for many of the compounds, but some are known to cause cancer in animals; others are known to cause cancer in humans.

Our homes are our sanctuaries where we spend much of our time.  When you step into your home, it should be a nourishing environment, but, unfortunately, the air in our homes is often 2 – 5 times more toxic than outdoor air due to off-gassing of furniture, appliances, cleaning products and other household items.

Environmental toxins today are unavoidable – in the air we breathe, the food we eat and almost everything we touch.  While we don’t have control over many of the toxins we’re exposed to, we do have control over what we put in and on our bodies as well as in our homes.  The tips below provide you with a place to start making steps to green your home.

Any parent can tell you that “sleeping like a baby,” is a contradiction in terms. Most parents are too familiar with children’s sleep issues, from restless sleep to night terrors. According to the National Sleep Foundation, more than two-thirds of all children experience at least one sleep problem a week, and more than three-quarters of parents would like to change something about their child’s sleep habits.

The recommended amount of sleep within a 24-hour period is 14 – 15 hours for infants; 12 – 14 hours for toddlers; 11 – 13 hours for pre-schoolers and 10 – 11 hours for school-aged kids. Most American children are not obtaining the recommended amount of sleep, which, in turn, is affecting their daytime behavior including school performance.

Should I Take Supplements???

Answer the 6 questions below to find out:

• Do you make poor dietary choices (alcohol, caffeine, sugar, processed foods…)?

• Do you eat frozen or canned fruits and veggies rather than fresh organic produce?

• Are you chronically stressed?

• Do you have chronic symptoms and/or health conditions?

• Do you have family members with chronic illnesses?

• Have you ever been exposed to environmental toxins?

Medications and personal care products continue to show up in our nation’s water supply – from antidepressants, antibiotics and painkillers to hormones and cosmetics.  There is growing concern about the impact these substances have on plants, animals and humans.  It is time we pay attention to warning signs and start making steps to reduce contamination of our water supply.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2008 that 50% of Americans used one or more prescription drugs, and prescription drug use continues to rise.  Since medications enter the water when people excrete them or wash them down the drain, it is important that we be more aware of what we are putting into our bodies and, in turn, into the environment.

Whether you prefer to travel to hot, tropical beaches, snowy peaked mountains, or a faraway exotic country, it’s smart to plan ahead for an enjoyable and healthy vacation.  Two of the most common travelers’ health complaints are motion sickness and jet lag.  Certain natural therapies can help prevent and reduce both of these.

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Motion Sickness: Also called carsickness, airsickness, and seasickness, motion sickness is a side effect of travel most of us have experienced at one time or another.  Motion sickness generally starts with queasiness, fatigue and loss of appetite and may progress to vomiting.  Small boats and cars tend to be the most common transportation trigger.  Children 2 – 12 years old and women seem to be the most susceptible, with up to half of children traveling by car or planes getting motion sickness.

Summer is quickly approaching with its sunny weather and fun outdoor activities. Along with summertime, comes the possibility of insect bites, poison oak rashes, injuries, and sunburns.  Even with these possible “risks,” you don’t need to stay cooped up indoors.  Homeopathy offers safe, natural remedies that can put your mind and your body at ease this summer.  Stocking your medicine cabinet or first aid kit with certain homeopathic remedies keeps you prepared for common summer ailments.

Homeopathically prepared remedies are commonly available in health food stores and many drug stores and are safe for people of all ages, including children and seniors.  These all-natural medicines are easy to use, do not have side effects, and do not interact with other medications.  They can be used day or night without causing drowsiness or stimulation.

Q: What are the safest cleaning products?

A: It’s time for Spring cleaning, but for a true green clean it’s important to know what’s in your cleaning products. Cleaning products are a major contributor to poor indoor air quality. According to a study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, many common household cleaners and air fresheners, when used indoors under certain conditions, emit toxic pollutants at levels that create health risks (Nazaroff, April 2006).

Two common components of household cleaners looked at in this Berkeley study were ethylene-based glycol ethers and terpenes. Ethylene-based glycol ethers are water-soluble solvents and are classified as hazardous air pollutants under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and as toxic air contaminants by California’s Air Resources Board. Terpenes are chemicals found in pine, lemon and orange oils and are known for their distinctive scent, and some studies have shown that they may react with ozone to produce toxic compounds such as formaldehyde, a respiratory irritant that is classified as a Group 1 carcinogen.

Q: What can I do to manage my allergies?

A: Along with blooming trees and flowers, spring can bring sneezing, sniffling and coughing. While some people might mistake these symptoms for a cold, it could actually be seasonal allergies.  Depending upon where you live, certain plants in full bloom right now. Your symptoms may be a reaction to these plants, along with dust stirred up from Spring-cleaning.

Allergies are very common, affecting at least 2 out of every 10 Americans. Conventional medications can sometimes provide relief of symptoms but are known to have numerous side effects such as drowsiness, dizziness, fast heartbeat, difficulty sleeping, irritability, headache, and stomach upset.  Luckily, there are natural alternatives that can help relieve symptoms without unwanted side effects.

March is National Nutrition Month and a great time to take a closer look at your diet.  Many people think of eating as something we do simply to satisfy our hunger, but I encourage you to start thinking of food as fuel for your body.  The foods you put in your mouth should sustain your energy throughout the day and nourish your body with nutrients that help fight infections and counteract the impact of environmental toxins.  Better nutrition will help you achieve a greater level of health and vitality.

Start making a healthy nutrition change by cutting back on your sugar intake.  Americans eat an average of 22.2 teaspoons per day.  People consuming high amounts of sugar are not only gaining weight and creating havoc with their blood sugar regulation, but they are also missing out on valuable nutrients when they choose sugary foods and drinks over other more nutrient dense foods.  High sugar consumption is related to the skyrocketing rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases in our country.

More than 1.1 billion adults worldwide are overweight, 312 million are obese, and close to 155 million children worldwide are overweight or obese, according to the International Obesity Task Force.  In the past 20 years, the rates of obesity have tripled in developing countries that have been adopting a lifestyle with decreased physical activity and over-consumption of inexpensive, processed, sugary foods.  It is time we take a closer look at the foods we are eating and focus our efforts on a healthy diet.

The most essential foods for a healthy diet:

    1. Fruits and Veggies: Eating a rainbow selection, including green, yellow, orange, red, blue and purple fruits and vegetables, provide an array of antioxidants that help keep the immune system strong and help protect against chronic diseases.  Fruits and veggies are also a great source of fiber.  Buy organic and local produce when possible to get the healthiest, freshest foods and to support local farmers.